Quick Authors Note:: This is a sequel to my first Twilight story, Dark Skies, so if you haven't read that I would go back and do that first. There's also a mini-series set before this called Heat of Summer which you do not have to read beforehand, but it would be nice if you did. Okay, that's all. Enjoy the story!

Chapter One: Happy Birthday Bella

"Dad, come on. She's going to be waking up any minute now and I really want to surprise her before that," I hissed behind me as I crept up the stairs in front of my dad.

For some strange reason, my sister liked to wake up at an ungodly hour so that she could get ready for school. And because I had decided that this was going to be the year that I would surprise her while she was still sleeping, that meant that I had to get up at an even earlier time. Even though I just want to go back to sleep as soon as my alarm went off, I pulled myself out of bed and grabbed the present I had gotten for Bella, and went downstairs to wake Charlie. I refused to let my sacrifice of more sleep go unrewarded.

"Dang it, girl. I'm going," Charlie muttered sleepily behind me.

"Shhhh," I shushed at him once we reached the top of the stairs. Knocking softly, I quickly pushed opened the door to see my sister sitting up in bed. I frowned heavily and placed a hand on my hip. "Would it kill you to let me surprise you before you wake up just once?"

"If it makes you feel better, I woke up a few seconds before you knocked on the door," Bella informed me with a shrug, pushing the hair from her face and scratching her head.

I glared at her as I stepped into the room. "It really doesn't."

"Happy birthday, Bells," Charlie said, shaking his head at me before entering the room as well and presenting his and Renée's gifts to his eldest daughter.

"Dad, Alex, we agreed, no gifts."

"At least mine's not wrapped," Charlie pointed out, handing her a silver camera with a large pink bow and the top.

Bella took the camera from Charlie and looked it over, a small smile tugging at her lips. "This is actually kind of great. Thanks, Dad."

"Open mine next!" I said excitedly, shoving my small wrapped gift towards her. She gave me a look, but I just smirked. "I only promised not to get you a gift if I couldn't find one," I reminded her smugly.

I bit my lip as she took the purple box from me and started unwrapping it. It had taken me forever to think of a gift for her, she was so simple (boring) and didn't want much. It got even worse after we moved to Forks and her life started to revolve around Edward. I cursed his name for weeks until he actually gave me an idea as to what I should get her.

"Dracula," Bella spoke disbelievingly, letting the book fall from her hand and onto the bed.

I bit back a laugh. "Yeah, you like old books, right? I know you don't already have a copy so I thought I would get it for you. It's supposed to be really good."

Bella just glared at me. Charlie looked awkwardly between the two of us before clearing his throat and holding out a shiny wrapped bow with another large bow on top.

"Here, this is from your mom. We coordinated—well, she coordinated me."

I rolled my eyes as Bella once again started unwrapping her gift. Mom hadn't coordinated dad, I had. Renée knew that Charlie would have no clue what to get Bella so one night when I was talking with her over the phone she told me what she was getting Bella and what I should have dad get. She even admitted that she had done the same thing with Bella for my gift a few months earlier.

"It's to put your pictures in, record your senior year." Charlie continued once Bella had uncovered the patterned cover of a scrapbook. "Man, senior year. How'd you get so old so fast?"

Bella started shaking her head, a determined expression on her face. "I'm not that old."

"I don't know," Charlie said with a shake of his head before squinting at her, "Is that a gray hair?" Adding to the joke, he stretched out a hand towards her head as though he was going to pluck it when Bella jumped out of bed and bee-lined towards a full-length mirror she had in the corner of her room.

I started laughing as she searched her reflection for a nonexistent gray hair. "He was kidding, Bella."

"That was so not funny," Bella said, turning away from the mirror to look at us. Charlie raised his hands in surrender and slowly started to back out of the room.

"It was a little funny." I insisted, using my pointer finger and thumb to create an inch of space. I then pointed towards her face, "Whoa, you've got some deep wrinkles forming when you glare like that."

Gasping slightly, Bella quickly turned towards the mirror once more to see that nothing was that. Laughing, I walked out of her room and into my own where I got ready for the day. I met Bella downstairs where we ate breakfast together, Charlie had left for work about ten minutes earlier. We ate quickly before shouldering our backpacks and heading out to the truck to go to school.

I missed having the truck all to myself. Sadly, a couple of weeks before school started up again, Bella got a job at the Newton's sporting goods store. It was only three days a week, but it was enough to make me once again share the truck with her. She tried to talk me into getting a job as well but because I still had a nice stack of cash saved up from my old babysitting days back in Arizona and I didn't feel the need. I would get a job when I absolutely had to.

Pulling into the parking lot of the school, I watched as Bella did her usual routine of scanning for Edward before parking in a spot. To her disappointment, she didn't find him. But while she was driving slower than a turtle, I was able to spot our other friends.

"Remember, you're not allowed to bring up my birthday," Bella instructed as we got out of the truck and started to make our way over to them.

"I promise," I said sarcastically, making a cross over my heart with my right pointer finger.

Bella shook her head at me.

"So, today's the big day, Bella," Jessica said as we approached. Bella shot me a dirty look while I held up my hands in defense knowing she thought I had told the group about it being her birthday. Jessica raised an eyebrow at us. "R and J essay? It's due today, remember."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Bella nodded her head. "Right. Romeo and Juliet."

"Wherefore art thou, Bella?" Mike recited jokingly, holding out a hand towards my sister.

"Very nice, Lameo." I teased, high-fiving his outstretched hand.

Next to me, Bella started digging around in her bag until she pulled out the silver camera Charlie had gotten her. "I need a picture of you guys. My mom's expecting a scrapbook full of memories from senior year."

Mike, Jessica, and Eric were all for the idea, putting their arms around one another right away while Angela starting backing away.

"I take pictures, I'm not in them," she said, holding up her own camera to prove a point.

Eric wouldn't have it and threw an arm around her shoulder before pulling her close. Jess worried about if her nose looked big while Eric, like always, cockily assured everyone that he was going to be the highlight of the picture. I stood next to Bella, shaking my head at them while my sister took the picture. Not even seconds after the flash went off I watched as their faces all fell. Turning around, I saw the cause of their change in mood. Edward had arrived and was making his way over to them.

I waved goodbye to my friends as they all turned and started walking away. Bella didn't notice their departure as she was too busy gawking at her approaching boyfriend.

"Happy birthday," he said, stopping in front of us.

"You're not allowed to say that, Bella doesn't want others to know about what today is," I stated matter-of-factually, happily turning towards my sister. "See, I got your back, Bells."

"Eighteen is a little early to be worrying about your age, don't you think?"

"I'm a year older than you." Bella pointed out.

"Bella, I'm one hundred and nine." Edward reminded her.

I brought a hand to my face, rubbing it over my eyes to block out the grossness that continued to happen a few feet in front of me. I tried to block out what they were saying for a while before opening my eyes just in time to see them pretty much making out in front of me.

"Okay, can you guys not do that in public, please," I whined, turning away. "Class is going to start soon and you'll be late if you don't stop. Plus, I'd really like to keep my breakfast in my stomach."

The two pulled apart and Bella looked at me sheepishly. "She's right…we should get to class."

We turned to start towards the school only to be stopped by Edward. "There's someone who wants to see you first."

Turning around, I saw that someone was Jacob Black. A smile stretched across my face as I closed the distance between the two of us and attacked him in a hug. He laughed loudly before wrapping his arms around me in return.

"Thank god you are here, I thought these two were going to kill me with their sappiness," I told him once I had pulled away.

"I guess I came at a good time then," he smirked before walking back with me to where Bella stood smiling. "Hey, Bella."

"Jacob, wow. You know anabolic steroids are really bad for you," Bella said, nodding towards his large arms.

"Well, it wouldn't seem so drastic if you came around more often." Jacob pointed out.

"I don't know what you're talking about drastic, you still look like the same old wimp to me," I muttered, shrugging my shoulders slightly. "I could take you easy."

It was a lie, though. After spending most of the summer with him, I had watched as he grew and started to fill out more. I had seen him without his shirt a couple of times when we hung out at the beach and had to turn away to keep myself from blushing—though I didn't always succeed. Although I tried to keep the feelings buried down, I couldn't seem to stop myself from developing a small crush on Jacob. And that sucked because I considered him to be one of my best friends so I didn't want to ruin that because of some stupid feelings.

"Oh yeah?" Jacob asked, looping his elbow around my neck and pulling me towards him in an effortless swoop. I tried to not let myself laugh at the action and enjoy being so close to him and instead brought my hands to his sides where I gave him a little tickle which prompted him to release me quickly.

"Hey, that's not fair"

"I never said that I would fight fair," I teased, sticking out my tongue in his direction. "Why don't you get to the reason you're here."

"Right," Jacob muttered before pulling something from his back pocket and holding it out of Bella. "Happy birthday. Your dad told my dad, so…"

I watched as my sister took the small dream catcher from Jacob and hold it in her hands. Without thinking, my hand found the bracelet on my wrist and a finger slowly traced the outline of a similar shape.

"Bella, Alex, the bell's about to ring," Edward told us, coming to stand right behind Bella. Seconds after he said it, the bell rang.

"Ooh, look at you, all psychic," Jacob said in a snarky tone, a smirk playing on his lips.

I crossed my arms over my chest and bumped my shoulder into Jake. Edward's eyes suddenly formed a glare as he placed an arm around my sister's shoulders.

"No, but I can read a watch. I'm clever that way," Edward said back, slowly backing away, taking Bella with him.

"Thanks for the gift, Jacob," Bella called out before heading towards the school with Edward.

"I guess I'll see you later," I said, moving to stand in front of him.

"Yeah."

We hugged quickly before I turned and started off towards the school as well. Halfway there, I turned around and waved to Jacob who still hadn't moved before turning back around and walking faster. If I hurried, I would still be able to make it to my class before the second bell rang. I caught up quickly with my sister and Edward who had now been joined by Alice and Jasper.

"Alex, tell your sister that she has to come to our house tonight." Alice pleaded, grabbing my arm.

I looked at her questionably for a moment before understanding what she was talking about. "Bella, you're coming tonight. Alice and I have been looking forward to and planning this for a month now."

"See?" Alice said, turning once more to my sister. "It'll be fun. Please?"

Bella stood there for a moment, seemingly thinking it over before giving in. "I…okay…I'll go."

Alice gave a small squeal of excitement while I looked over my shoulder at Jasper who smirked back at me.

"Great! See you at seven!" Alice said happily before skipping back to her mate.

They had just turned to leave when Bella realized what had happened. "Jasper, no fair with the mood control."

Jasper just chuckled. "Sorry, Bella."

"Don't listen to her, Jasper. You keep up the good work!" I called after them as Alice pulled him away before Bella could change her mind.

Edward smiled and shook his head. "Vampires. You can't trust them."

I was about to comment on that when I remembered what I had been doing before getting interrupted. "Crap, I'm going to be late!" As though to rub it in, the second bell rang loudly, echoing through the empty hall. Muttering a curse, I said goodbye to my sister and her boyfriend before stomping angrily off towards my first class.


Authors Note:: The wait is over! We finally have the first chapter of New Moon with Alex posted! Yay! The poll is still up for Jacob's nickname for Alex so please take that if you can. I think I'll leave it up till the end of the week. I hope you guys liked this first chapter. Let me know what you thought in a message or review, I love hearing from you guys. Oh, and I should probably get it out of the way so I'll just say it here: I do not own anything from Twilight, I only own my OCs Alex and Leslie. Alright. :)