"BREAKING DAY"

Chapter One

The piercing ring of the final bell shot through the halls and classrooms of St. Bridget's Academy, bringing on a wave of bustling, excited, uniform-clad students.

Teenagers flooded the halls, filling them with the sounds of excited chatter, shouts of glee, and the creaks of lockers opening and being slammed shut.

Renesmee Cullen walked from her English Literature class, striding quickly across the hall without so much as bumping into another student.

The minute she reached her locker, a small, peppy blonde with wide blue eyes and teeth so white they almost shimmered in the fluorescent lights above them, was beside her.

"Nessie! You will never guess what just happened to me in Spanish!" she exclaimed, nearly bubbling over with excitement.

"You actually learned something?" Nessie teased, smiling slightly as she pulled a text book from her locker.

"Ha ha, you're hilarious," the blonde girl snapped, rolling her glitter-covered eyes.

"I just can't guess, Bree," Nessie replied, with mock interest.

"Okay, are you ready for this?" Bree asked, holding up her hands, her perfectly manicured (and also glittering) finger nails shining in the light.

"Just tell me already!" Nessie cried, shoving her last text book in her bag and shutting her locker.

"Okay," Bree said, preparing herself for the obviously important story, "so Justin turns around, and he's all 'Hey'. So I said 'Hi'. And then he was like 'Are you going to the game on Friday'? And so I was like 'Yeah, totally'. And then he was like 'Cool'. And so I was like 'Are you going to the game on Friday?' And he was like 'Yeah. I'll see you there'. And I was like 'Definitely'!"

There was a pause as Bree stared at Nessie, who stared back, awaiting the next portion of the story.

"And?" Nessie finally asked.

"And nothing!" Bree exclaimed. "Justin asked me about the game! He said he'll see me there!"

"Of course he'll see you there. You're both going," Nessie pointed out logically.

"Oh for God's sake, Ness, could you at least pretend to be excited?" Bree snapped.

"I'd be more excited if Justin had actually had the nerve to ask you to go to the game with him," Nessie remarked.

"Whatever. He's totally interested, and this proves it," Bree insisted.

"I guess it's a step forward," Nessie agreed.

"Oh my God, I have been obsessed with Justin since I broke up with Tommy!" Bree sighed.

"Which was when? Two weeks ago?" Nessie teased. Bree slapped her playfully.

"It was like a year ago," she insisted. "Well, okay, six months. But I have spent the whole summer being in love with Justin McFarlane!"

"Fair enough," Nessie said, stifling a giggle.

The two girls had reached the door to the locker room now, and Bree sighed.

"Time for my two hours of hell," she moaned.

"Oh come on. You love cheerleading," Nessie said encouragingly.

"No I don't!" Bree whined. "It would be so much better if you were doing it too. I don't know why you aren't - you made the team."

"Cheering isn't really my thing. Besides, I have ballet lessons every day after piano," Nessie replied.

"Your parents are so harsh," Bree said sympathetically. "I mean, they don't even let you have anyone over your house."

"They mean well," Nessie insisted. "Look, I'll see you tomorrow, Bree."

"If I'm still alive!" Bree cried dramatically, as she walked into the locker room.

Nessie smiled to herself as she began heading towards the front doors. As she was about to leave, she tripped, dropping her textbooks across the hall. She sighed, kneeling down to pick them up, just as a group of Bree's cheerleading teammates came around the corner. They were in a tight pack, and all seemed to be whispering amongst themselves. But Nessie could overhear every word they said.

"There's Nessie Cullen," one girl muttered, as the clump neared. "She's so full of herself."

"Tell me about it. She hardly talks to anyone," another girl agreed.

"Yeah, it's like Bree is supposed to feel honored that Nessie even speaks to her," a third snipped.

"Bree says Nessie doesn't let anyone come over her house," the first said.

"No, Bree said Nessie's parents don't let her have people over," a small girl with curly red hair suddenly piped up.

"I heard it's 'cause her parents are famous, and they don't want anyone to know," the second girl whispered.

"Yeah right," the first girl snorted.

"Seriously! I mean, have you seen that huge Indian guy that picks her up every day? He must be a bodyguard. He even drives a motorcycle!" the second girl insisted.

"I heard they're dating," the third girl said smugly.

"Are you kidding? He's got to be like twenty-five," the second girl cried.

"She's just a rich princess," the first girl snapped. "She turned down her position on the squad because she thinks she's better than us."

"She does a lot of other things. Her parents are really hard on her," the red head squeaked again.

"She's a show-off," the second girl spat. "If she weren't so pretty, no one would even like her."

Nessie quickly gathered her books up off the floor and hurried by the pack of girls, pushing through the giant front doors and stepping out into the sunlight.

She knew via Bree that the cheer squad resented her for turning down her position in September. She had tried out for the team merely because Bree had not wanted to do so alone - and when did not join, the other girls had not taken it well.

Nessie sighed, pulling out the cell phone that her father had bought for her since she had started school. She held it down low, attempting to hide the ridiculously expensive phone from the view of the other students, who clearly already thought she was a 'rich princess'.

She hit the number one, her speed dial instantly connecting her to the one person she needed most. It only took one ring before Jacob answered.

"Hey Ness."

"How far away are you?" Nessie asked immediately, unable to keep the eagerness out of her tone.

"I'm running a little late today - Quil couldn't get a sitter for Claire," Jacob grumbled. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Don't take too long," Nessie teased.

"Don't worry, I won't." Jacob's voice was tinted with excitement. Nessie grinned.

"Love you."

"Love you more."

Nessie sighed, hanging up her phone and looking out at the floods of students flowing from the building. She frowned when she spotted a table set up in the middle of the crowd, a single boy sitting behind it. He was shouting something and waving bright yellow papers at passing students.

Nessie grinned as she skipped down the stairs towards the table.

"Help find the Olympic wolves! Search party this weekend! It's a serious problem that must be solved, ladies and gentlemen! Take a flier, tell all your friends!" the young blond boy behind the table called out at the top of his lungs. He stopped as Nessie approached, his face breaking out into a huge grin. "Hello Nessie."

"Griffin, what are you doing?" Nessie asked, struggling to keep a grin off of her face.

"I'm alerting the public to the dangers lurking in the very woods of Olympia," Griffin replied, fixing his tie as he said so.

"You really think anyone is going to take this seriously?" Nessie asked, picking up a yellow flier. On it was an elaborate drawing of a vicious, snarling wolf, complete with drool and foam dripping from its hideous pointed teeth.

"They will if they know what's good for them," Griffin insisted, snatching the flier back from Nessie and handing it to a passing girl. "These monsters will eat your pets!"

"Griff, when are you going to give up?" Nessie giggled.

"When the people of Washington finally understand that there are dangerous forces at work here!" Griffin insisted.

"I take it you're still on the hunt for vampires too?" Nessie asked, a tiny bit of joking gone from her tone.

Griffin leaned in closer to Nessie, a serious expression on his face as he fixed his glasses.

"There are records of strange things happening in these very woods, Nessie," he whispered. "Things that can only be explained by the existence of supernatural creatures."

"Well, you know I'm always here to help," Nessie said, smiling at her favorite new companion at St. Bridget's Academy.

"So you'll be on the wolf hunt this weekend?" Griffin asked eagerly.

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it," Nessie replied.

"Good. I'm hoping to have a troupe of at least fifty so we can break off into groups of ten," Griffin said, taking his seat and organizing his pile of fliers.

"Sounds like a plan," Nessie said, knowing full well that the 'hunt' would consist of no more than herself and Griffin.

"Make sure to bring something to defend yourself with. There are some people in this school who I would not mind losing to the wolves, but I do not want to see you hurt," Griffin warned.

"Gee, thanks Griff," Nessie snorted.

"And here comes one of those students I wouldn't mind losing..." Griffin muttered suddenly, glaring behind Nessie.

"Who-"

"Hey Ness."

Nessie turned, and found herself face-to-face with Cody James - known to the girls of St. Bridget's as 'The Sex God'. Cody's stunning blue-green eyes shone radiantly in the sun, contrasting perfectly with his dark brown hair. His tie hung loose around his neck, the first few buttons of his shirt undone, his jacket wide open. He smiled at Nessie, his white teeth gleaming as he casually swung his lacrosse stick over his shoulder.

"Oh. Hey Cody," Nessie greeted, offering a small unenthusiastic wave.

Nessie had been tutoring Cody in Physics since the end of summer, when she had agreed to participate in the tutoring program for community service hours, since she was already 'so advanced in science' thanks to her 'years of home-schooling', or so the school department thought. Then, come September, Mr. Plonsky had stuck Nessie and Cody together as lab partners, since they "already worked so well together". And while the two got along perfectly well during tutoring sessions, they traveled in very different social circles at St. Bridget's, leaving their friendship awkward and stilted outside of the classroom.

"Care to take a flier, Cody? Or would you rather brave the Olympic wolves as obliviously as you do everything else?" Griffin snapped, shoving a yellow flier at Cody.

"Uh, thanks Griffin," Cody said, taking the flier and staring at Griffin with a slightly disturbed expression. "Hey Nessie, can we chat for a sec?"

"Sure," Nessie said. Cody eyed Griffin for a moment, as if hinting that he would rather 'chat' somewhere else. But Nessie did not budge.

"Um, well I was just wondering if you were planning on coming to the lacrosse game on Saturday. It's our big match against Forks High. Coach Newton is really pumped... everyone's gonna be there," Cody said.

"I can't," Nessie said instantly, the name of her parents' former high school sending up a red flag immediately in her mind. Cody looked disappointed.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I, uh..." Nessie uttered, struggling to develop a good excuse.

"We're hunting the Olympic wolves," Griffin said loudly, leaning over the table to glare at Cody. Nessie, grateful for the excuse, immediately nodded.

"Yeah. I promised Griffin I'd help out," she agreed.

Cody seemed to assume that Nessie was merely humoring Griffin out of pity, and grinned sympathetically.

"That's too bad. I was really hoping you'd be at the game. You know, so my fabulous tutor could see me doing something I'm actually good at for once," Cody joked.

"Maybe next time," Nessie offered, unable to keep a grin off of her face.

"I hope so," Cody said, staring at Nessie intently. "I feel like we never really get the chance to hang out."

"I'm pretty busy," Nessie said quickly.

"So I've heard," Cody sighed. "Well hey, if the wolf problem resolves itself before tomorrow night, I'll have a ticket waiting for you."

"Thanks, Cody," Nessie said.

"Catch you later, Ness," Cody said, shooting her another beautiful smile. "Good luck with the hunt, Griffin."

"Oh, I don't need luck. Just solid manpower," Griffin replied. Cody eyed him for a moment, before nodding and walking off.

"Why do you have to be such a freak, Griff?" Nessie asked teasingly.

"Cody James is the bane of my existence," Griffin snapped, slamming his pile of fliers down on the table.

"Why? He's nice enough," Nessie shrugged. "I mean, he's a little plain if you ask me-"

"I thought he was The Sex God," Griffin grumbled. Nessie laughed.

"According to Bree and the cheerleaders," she snorted. "They can have him."

"He doesn't seem to want them..." Griffin muttered, frowning over at Cody. Nessie turned to see that Cody was still gazing at her from across the student parking lot.

Suddenly the rumble of a motorcycle's engine could be heard in the distance, growing closer and closer as it tore up the streets at top speed. Nessie's face instantly brightened as the shining red bike came soaring into view, screeching to a halt before the school.

Students all over had stopped to stare at the tall, handsome Native American boy who leapt from the amazing motorcycle, pulling off his helmet and shaking his long jet black hair in the sunlight.

"It appears James Bond has arrived to take you home," Griffin grumbled sarcastically.

"I'll see you later, Griff," Nessie said, not even looking back at her friend as she began walking towards Jacob.

"Don't forget about the hunt tomorrow night!" Griffin called after her.

Nessie was nearly running towards Jacob now. He beamed at her as she stopped before him, the sun beating down off of her golden-tinted hair.

"How was school?" he asked, mockingly.

"Oh, thrilling as always," Nessie said, rolling her eyes. Jacob laughed, rushing to the back of his motorcycle and pulling out a helmet for Nessie.

"I see you're still hanging out with Radar over there," he remarked, frowning over at Griffin.

"Yup. We're going on an Olympic wolf-hunt this weekend," Nessie said, fastening the helmet onto her head.

"I don't understand why you hang around with that kid. He's the only person in Washington out looking for vampires and werewolves," Jacob pointed out, swinging his leg casually over the seat of his bike.

"You know what they say: keep your friends close... keep potential crazy-vampire-hunting enemies closer," Nessie said, as she hopped onto the back of the motorcycle, wrapping her arms around Jacob's waist.

"Nice philosophy," Jacob snorted, before swinging his foot up and slamming his fingers down on the gas.

Just before they shot off down the street, Nessie caught a glance of the cheerleading squad as they left the building. Every face was a mask of resentment. She also caught sight of Cody James and his friends, all of whom stared at Jacob with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

Nessie just grinned to herself as she wrapped her arms tighter around the love of her life.