I was the yin of everybody's yang. I was born powerless but being immortal was a power alone. It was rare to be what I was but it felt like being normal. Being born from my once human mother, Bella Swan who would've died if she wasn't turned by my 100-year-old father, Edward Cullen as I always thought that I was one of the reasons that she almost died but if it was the birth of my twin, Renesmee that she would've died either way. My mother had sacrificed her own life for her daughters which I found to be extremely selfless and heroic but I'm glad to have a mother to this day along with my sister and I'm glad to have a family that loves me. But growing up was different than what I expected from life as I was different from my twin, Renesmee who had always enjoyed nature, she's, of course, an optimist along with special, well that's what everyone said about her. It was hard hearing the compliments, the words that she was special when I wasn't ever considered to be special as Renesmee, who was like a beautiful special butterfly while I was a black moth, not special, a symbol of death. Despite that I could never hate her, she was my sister, my blood, and she understood me more than others even though I grew up in her shadow, she sat in the shadows with me.
But it was the fact that years ago we all could've died in a war to see if we were dangerous to them, it brought us all closer and I found myself bonding and spending more time with my dad as he listened to me playing the guitar.
We made it out alive, it was an experience better than words could describe as we could only hope for another battle in years to come.
As Renesmee and I grew up by each other's side as she was the one whom I couldn't imagine living without, as she grew up wanting to become artist and photographer and did painting as a side job while she was often taking her latest pictures of nature, people, and simple things in everyday life. She even soon started a romantic relationship with Jacob whom I had also gotten along with and seen him as an uncle or a brother as she brought him everywhere with us as they were always kissing or in each other's arms. I never found interest in men but had tried dating a man but there was no spark, there nothing that I felt for the man. I had wanted to become a guitarist and make my own music but I had to go under another name besides my own and had to hide who I truly was to keep my family safe, while I often played to calm myself, to become better, to impress others, and a bunch of reasons, it kept me sane all this time. It was my birthday and Nessie's birthday and aunt Ali had to throw a party for us despite our protests for her not to, it was aunt Ali after all.
As I stood in my bedroom filled with violet and black, staring in the tall mirror at my body in the dress aunt Ali had picked out for me as it was a long black simple dress with thin straps along with a pair of red velvet short-heeled flats as she had styled my long black hair into a curls on the side. This was completely new for me and I only styled myself like this when it was an event, I could be girly but I don't want to be girly and that's just how I feel. I soon pushed a long strand of hair out of my face as glanced at the forbidden tattoo on my shoulder with the tiny butterflies that were barely noticeable as I remembered the night that my parents found out and I was grounded for 4 weeks.
I let out a deep sigh while focusing on myself in the mirror not even hearing Alice calling me from downstairs. We were at my grandparent's house while the night was as dark as ever but the moon was shining tonight, sending a smile to my lips since nature was a truly beautiful thing that I marveled at the moon most of all. " Anna! Did you not hear me call you?" Alice asked me clueless while I stood in the room me and Renesmee shared at our grandparents, her side being filled with white and pink along as Alice was as chipper as ever and I couldn't be happier that I was finally 18. " I'm sorry, aunt Ali but I was too busy making sure that I looked as best as I could." I joke in a cocky manner as wide grin few on my lips as Alice let out a small chuckle at my cockiness.
" Well, you'll always look your best when I style you, Anna. But hurry up! Jacob and Paul look like they're about the eat all the cake before you and Nessie can even blow out the candles." Alice exclaimed loudly with a chipper smile on her lips and dressed in her best outfit of the year before slamming my door loudly. I rolled my eyes at aunt Alice and the thought of the pack eating all of my and Nessie's cake before we even blow out the candles, I had glanced at myself for a more moments before turning on my heel as I left the room with a loud door slam. Surely everyone heard me slam the door and I was surprised that the door wasn't slammed off but it was our birthday party and aunt Ali would've said: "make an entrance". I let out a deep breath while standing above the stairs, I always made sure to tell myself to end our parties happily not in an argument or violently to say the least.
As I began to walk down the stairs with everyone's eyes on me with every step down the stairs but they all held smiles that sent comfort my way, my sister Nessie was smiling the brightest and looked like a princess in her dress as I reached the crowd of beloved friends and family as I wrapped in the comforting and loving embrace of Nessie. She embraced me for a few moments before pulling away as her warm hands held my cold ones with a warm and gentle smile on her lips and happiness in her brown eyes, I couldn't help but feel a smile a grow on my lips.
" Happy birthday, Mira! You look ... different but in a good way and I never knew that you wore dresses." Nessie congratulated me before coming at me with friendly banter as I let out a chuckle before coming back with playful banter.
" Hey! I only wear dresses when I need to but otherwise, I'm stuck in jeans and shorts." I fired back as Nessie laughed before wrapping her arm around my shoulder as I stared at the decorations, the delicious cake, the people who surrounded me and with love and support.
" Happy birthday, Anna! It's great to see you being able to see the day that you would turn 18, meaning your no longer a little girl." My mother exclaimed with a loving smile and happy tone, while my father also held a bright toothy smile, I glanced between him and my mother before wrapping my arms around my mother, happily. While Nessie had been congratulated from grandpa Carlisle and grandma Esme along with the rest of our family.
" I love you so much, my dear. But me, Alice, and Rosalie had chosen both your dresses and a few of your gifts." My mother told me, closely in my ear before slowly pulling away out of my embrace with a comforting smile, I couldn't help but feel excited and more than happy besides who is unhappy on their birthday? I soon ran to my father, wrapping my arms around him as I could feel his cold hand caress the top of my head as I stared up at him while still embracing him as he let out a chuckle before kissing the top of my forehead.
" Happy birthday, Esmira Annabella Cullen. So, you're eighteen now? How does it feel being an adult now, Esmira?" My father asked me jokingly as I let out a small laugh at his words.
" Yeah! I'm an adult now, dad but does that mean I can drink now?" I had asked him curiously with a smile on my lips.
" Not yet but hopefully you never set your fingers on a bottle of alcohol, you already have a tattoo. You don't need anything else troublesome." My father joked causing me to laugh as unwrapped my arms from his waist as we both shared a loving gaze along with smiles of joy and love. I turned around to be met with my excited uncle Emmet who had stood tall over me, he had picked me up as I felt unstoppable giggles and laughs come out being high in the air as he twirled me around in the air like when I was a kid. I couldn't stop laughing and smiling as he spun me around for a few moments before putting me back on the ground, uncle Emmet held a goofy grin.
" Happy birthday, Mimi! You're no longer a little girl ... you remind of your mother a lot. But that doesn't mean that we won't have fun in the years and decades to come, you'll probably be drinking and getting in all kinds of trouble in years to come." Uncle Emmet exclaimed goofily but also in a mature manner, as I put my hands on my hips and a devilish grin grew on my lips.
" Oh yeah, uncle Emmet! But there's one thing I'd like to do with you in the upcoming years." I said jokingly as he crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
" To ... fight you!" I shouted in a witty tone as he laughed at me before responding back to my proposal.
" Oh yeah? You sure you want to end up hurt badly, Mira? You sure that I can't take on a little girl like you?" He asked me with a smirk on his lips and a chuckle soon coming from his lips as I nodded, he stood there waiting for me to do something but I wasn't in the mood to ruin my makeup. I had turned on my heel before feeling uncle Emmet wrapping his arm around my neck and pulling me towards him as I fought to get out of his grasp, hitting him everywhere.
" Ha! You're still a little girl aren't you Mira?" Emmet teased as his grip was tight around my neck as I fought for air, to be let out of his grasp as it felt like blood was rushing to my head and it felt like my head was going in circles and squares. He soon let go, seeing my face as red as a beet as I stumbled a bit before finding myself back on my feet, I let out a nervous chuckle as I walked without paying attention and bumped into my aunt Rosalie.
" Are you okay, Mira? I guess you got your clumsiness from your mother ... but happy birthday, Mira. How are you feeling?" Aunt Rosalie commented before congratulating me as I was used to her sarcastic comments but it was just who she was and I enjoyed every part of her sarcasm.
" Thank you, Aunt Rose. But I'm doing pretty good, pretty great. I'm glad that I was able to make it to eighteen and hopefully, I'll make it to twenty-one." I joked with her as she let out a chuckle before wrapping her arm around me and kissing my cheek as she mellowed yellow eyes showed happiness.
She soon went over to the table filled with presents wrapped in many different colors, she chose one of the gifts in the front filled with black and purple.
As she turned back to me with a happy and bright smile as she handed me the small box as I held the box in my hands before sitting myself down on the couch next to Nessie who sat with Jacob happily as they had both changed over the years, Jacob had longer hair that rested messily on his shoulders.
Nessie had grown like from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly, I never really cared too much about my appearance but I always thought I was rather tomboyish and different than Nessie. I couldn't stop smiling as I opened and unwrapped the gift, a small black box filled with a golden locket with a bird encrusted in diamonds, I thought it was very beautiful and I couldn't be thankful enough for it.
" It was picked out by Bella, Alice, Esme, and me and we thought it was perfect for you. I hope you like it, Mira." Rosalie said happily while I felt all the eyes of my family on me and I questioned who wouldn't like this for a gift.
" Are you joking? Who wouldn't like it but thank you, guys. I cannot thank you enough for this gift." I thanked them grateful for the necklace, I thought that I was even lucky to get a gift considering how much they would spend on Nessie but still I couldn't stop thinking of what they could've gotten her.
Nessie had gotten up and made her ways towards the pile of presents, grabbing the first one with her name on it as her "friends" couldn't make it but we're sure to deliver gifts while my friends had already given me my gifts earlier today since they all had something to do. I wished my friends could've made it but being immortal had to be kept a secret, meaning spending birthday parties with the only family.
As Nessie sat next to me, shaking the kind of large box wrapped in pink and purple before her eyes glanced at uncle Emmet who held a devious grin. " I don't hear anything ... uncle Emmet, did you try to prank me with an empty box?" Nessie asked with an angry frown on her lips. " Of course not, Nessie! It's installed on your car." Uncle Emmet revealed to us as she turned from angry to confused, with confusion in her eyes and written on her lips.
" I spent 500 dollars on things for your car and Rose installed some upgrades to the BMW that you'd enjoy." Uncle Emmett explained happily with a goofy grin as a smile soon grew on Nessie's face as she was going to race to see what new upgrades and installments were on the BMW. " Don't you dare. Open your other presents and then you can see the installments." Mom stated sternly while pointing her finger at Nessie who had to sit back down with a frown soon growing on her lips along with an annoyed groan from her lips.
I let a chuckle sneak past Nessie before grabbing the next present for me as it was a little larger this time but taller as I was confused and had no idea what it could be but I quickly ripped away the paper. It was from one of my good friends, Fern who was a huge nerd and geek but I still loved her for it, she always was thinking long-term and wrote our songs.
I wished she could've come but she, unfortunately, couldn't make it, she had to go to a competition thing that I didn't understand one bit but she wished me the best on my birthday and gave me an early present of red velvet cake, that kept me happy throughout the day. It was a ring.
It was in a black little box and sent so many messages that I'm speechless and I felt my heart stop in my chest while my mouth remained open without a word, but what scared me the most was what my family would think, especially my dad.
What in the hell was she thinking?
" Dad ... I have been single for the past 17 years and I plan to keep it that way ... at least for the next few years." I told my dad quickly as he seemed to already be thinking it as I heard the snickers and chuckles from my uncles and all I could do is think and pray that Alice doesn't think that I'm going to get married or something.
" It's from a friend ... a girlfriend! Besides, she has a boyfriend too.
There's no possible way that I would get married .... Just to be clear as day." I declared as I felt my cheeks heating up while I felt embarrassment rise inside me as I tried to explain the ring but my uncles began chuckling and laughing louder. " We know Mira, it's just some people find humor in everything." Grandma Esme exclaimed in a caring tone, trying to comfort me as I sat down with a frown on my face while Nessie held a hand over her mouth to cover up the chuckles and giggles that I heard. I guess Karma really is
I was thankful and grateful for the gift from Fern but she didn't know how my family was, a bunch of jokesters with big hearts and wandering thoughts.
The ring sat on my lap while I didn't even take a look at the ring but I planned to later on tonight where I had planned on meeting Fern later on this night.
As the night passed on smoothly filled with laughter, affection, and my family as it was a normal birthday and I didn't feel 18 but I felt older, I had lived 18 years despite looking 18 when I was actually 7. I had even played a song for Nessie on her birthday that I had written especially for her that made her emotional, I remember tearing up when writing it.
" You're out your head and I'm out my mind ... it's just you and I. You're the yang to my yin ... you're my other half ... the angel and the devil on my shoulder." I remember writing and singing to her, that part stuck with her.
It was late midnight, 12:45 to be exact as I laid in my bed with my phone at my fingertips as I was texting Fern who was acting weird about how I acted about the ring.
" Look, I only meant it as a sign of being friends. Don't think about it too much, Mira. I'm sorry if your family thinks that I'm weird or that they don't like me but that's my way of showing how much I care about you." Fern wrote in a message, it made signals and signs pop up in my head but I didn't know what the signs meant.
" Fern, are you okay? I thank you for the ring and I plan to one day repay you with something better. I'll drop it but please warn me before getting me things that might freak out people. But you promised to take me to get my first drink." I wrote to her, remembering the promise that she made earlier.
" Oh, I'm sorry that I forgot about that. I'll take you to my favorite nightclub and it's not too crazy but nothing that you can't handle. But do you have a plan if your parents find out that you're gone, do you have a plan in case something goes wrong?" Fern wrote, questioning me as I hadn't thought about a plan b but I had no plans for my crazy but lenient parents, I didn't think that they'd catch me.
" I don't have any plans but you need to calm down about my parents. They won't catch us, they probably think that I'm asleep and they don't know about our plans. Meet me at my window and let's get on the road to my first night of being 18." I wrote back as a chuckle slipped between my lips before I threw my phone on the nightstand beside, I took off my fancy dress that was tight around my body. I remember pressing a kiss to the dress, remembering it forever as my 18th birthday dress.
As I threw on a pair of black shorts and a black and white plaided shirt along with a leather jacket on my shoulders, I had traded heels for a pair of boots. I had looked at myself in the mirror with a sly grin before I had turned off the light before jumping onto my comfy bed as a large window rested above my bed, I pushed open the window as I sat on the ledge with a grin.
It was my first-night experiencing being human, my first night getting drunk, my first night breaking the rules and I was excited for the night to come.
A/N: I hope that you guys enjoy it so far, please leave comments and I'll be sure to comment back. Toodles!