Chapter One: New Friends

I’m not used to being the new girl. It’s not me, I was never that new mysterious chick in school. I was the dorky loser that many people pretended not to know after a while. I was the one who had the worst name but managed not to get picked on anymore after seventh grade, when my classmates got tired of the charades. Because it’s only funny for so long.

Could you imagine me? If I had a dad in the navy or something and my family was always moving? [ You know if my parents were still together]. I couldn’t imagine going to a new school once a year or every six months and having to break that barrier…to be accepted as a person. To find my place in society [ By society I mean high school], could I go through the taunts many times over and over again?

No, I don’t think so, I’d be a freaky outcast with purple hair and bangles. Now I am that girl, minus the hair coloration. Not that there is anything wrong with purple hair, I’m sitting in my new room right now looking at a sales paper for hair dye. And I’m dying to know what I would look like with purple hair. Oh yeah, and I wear lots of bangles and bracelets. Besides arm wear, I just got the third hole in my ear two months ago; my mom agreed to let me if I didn’t get a nose ring instead.

Don’t think I’m some rocker chick though. That’s not the case I like many different types of music, mostly the popular kind because really I don’t have that many connections to music.

If you asked me my favorite kind of music I’d say R&B and ska, you could lock me in a empty room with just my ipod blasting my rhythm and blues and I’d be happy. I’d more then happy, I bet you’d could lock me in there and come back three days later and find me smiling and singing along to my favorite song.

I’m getting off track though.

My name is Babette Beatrice Ballari and I just moved from San Diego to the rainy state of Forks, Washington. I’m a California girl, as far as I’m concerned…Why live anywhere else? I mean it’s like you have the whole world in one little state. You still can see fall leaves, you can go to the beach, there are lakes, snow in the mountains, valleys and ranches, and there are so many different cultures…

And look at me now…I live in a town with a white population! White only, no Hispanics, Asians, Indians, or Blacks for that matter.

How is a black girl going to hold up in a place like this?

That’s what I ask myself as I close the sales paper and throw it to the floor, where I will most likely trip on it later. I feel like crying as I shiver in this small little room. I look behind me, the window is open about five inches high.

No wonder I’m so freaking cold.

I get off the bed and walk over to the window, but as hard as I pull on it, it won’t budge a smidge. Sighing I give up and head downstairs and go into the door on the left, the kitchen.

My mother is sitting down looking at some paper work, she has her huge glasses on. I cringe before I make my presence known, why does she wear those?

“Mom?”

She looks up and smiles at me, her huge eyes radiating kindness as usual.

“Yes Babe?”

Of course no one ever says “honey” or anything tender like that, my nick name Baby [ sometimes Babe] was enough. If I ever had a boyfriend I’d never know if he was being cute or if he was just saying my name platonically. I mean when really hot guys say my name, it makes me swoon. But then really ugly dorky guys used to say my name a lot, to the point where I wanted to either shove a sock down their throats or throw up.

“The window in my room is stuck. And the heater isn’t working.”

My mom frowned, “ Go look in the basement we’ve got some extra blankets up there. And when you come back down I got some hot coco you can use to warm yourself up.”

“Alright, but your going to get the realtor to fix the radiator right?”

“I’ll try, but most likely she’ll refer me to the seller. I think he’s quite handy.”

I make a skeptically sound come out of my mouth,”Tis, he must be, almost everything in this house is broken.”

My mom gave me a disapproving look, just as one of her papers fell on from off the table, laying on the kitchen floor like a dead victim from a cliff fall.

“Hey it’s all I could afford, and this is the best job offer. Living here will do us some good Baby.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I say disregarding her and picking up the paper from the ground. I don’t know what it is, and begin to read it out loud, to myself. “’ Proof of Quileute heritage from the American Indian Reserve Blood Ties Foundation…You and your family are now recognized as being descendants of this tribe…’”

I look at my mother and she smiles at me. “Well that’s how we got such a great deal on this house. And why else to you think we live right outside of La Plush?”

I can hardly believe it, “Wait, you mean to tell me…that my heritage is right up the road and you are just now telling me this?” I practically shout because I am so astounded but mostly excited.

While I beam, my mother frowns in annoyance, “Baby, I told you this three days ago…Don’t you remember me running in the house holding the letter in my hands and me jumping around…” My mother trails off as she sees the recognition on my face.

“Oh yeah , you mean when I was sitting on the couch listening to my Usher CD, which I had just purchased on Itunes… No I’m sorry I kind of missed out on whole reason you were dancing on around the coffee table in circles. Honestly I thought it was a ploy to annoy me.”

My mother is half annoyed and half amused, as I hand her the letter and head out of the kitchen.

“Hey Babe wait a moment.”

I turn around expectant.

“I forgot to tell you, Billy invited me to a barbeque tomorrow.”

I smile, my brightest smile, “Aw, have fun mommy.”

She scowls me, “Your coming too Babe!”

My smile fades away, “What? But why can’t I just stay--”

She cuts me off, “Because we have been here an for over a week and you haven’t left this house. ”

“Yeah I don’t leave the house because I have an abundance of music, snacks, and tolerable television. Why would I want to explore the backwards town of Forks? Or get lost in any of these jungles out there? I mean does it kill you that I’m perfectly content?”

“Look Baby you can’t hibernate forever. Tomorrow at noon sharp we’ll be there.”

I dart my mom an evil look and head up the stairs slamming the door. She knew more than anyone else that I wasn’t a people person.