Chapter 1

High school can be one of the worst time periods for humans in their lives. And this can even be truer in a small town where everyone knows everyone and drama is the only form of entertainment sometimes.

Here in Thompson Falls, Montana, that was just the case. Especially in my freshman class. This cloudy, and rainy in the Fall, kind of town had been my home for as long as I could remember. My Grandma Eileen grew up here too, and so did my mom and dad.

Currently, I was in sitting in my stuffy classroom, letting my algebra teacher drone on about the different formula's that we were learning. My gaze was focused on the window to my left, watching the heavy rain hit the glass hard. "…Maggie." I heard a voice whisper next to me, "Maggie, are you even listening to me?!"

It was my best friend, Maria Romo, was apparently trying to get my attention to tell me something important. "Sorry Maria, I wasn't. What did you say?"

"I just asked if you were going to come over for the Halloween party that my parents are throwing." She whispered, looking up at the chalkboard to jot down what was just written by the teacher. We both live in the same neighborhood, just down the street from each other. The Romo house is known for their open-door policy, only locked from 10:00 to 6:00. My grandmother's house always has the doors and windows locked tights, her paranoid mind not enjoying visitors as much anymore. "Tony is inviting some of his Junior friends over, so maybe there will be some cute boys."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "Yeah, maybe for you, but I'm too shy to even look anyone with a driver's license in the eyes." We both laughed, becoming quiet quickly when our stern math teacher, Ms. Crocker, gave us the stink eye.

I wasn't too into the math and science classes, preferring any kind of arts medium. My brain didn't really work when it came to the logic parts of school, but I could sit and read or paint or listen to music for hours. Grandma Eileen put in me my first ballet class at three and piano lessons by five. I have memories of her making me play for her bingo friends after they were done at the hall on Friday's. Maria was the opposite: super smart when it came to anything numbers related, but couldn't keep a tune if it was in a bucket. We kind of balanced each other out like that, which made us great friends.

Eventually, Maria and I resorted to passing notes across our shared table rather than whisper our conversation, trying to keep the attention away from us as much as possible. About halfway through the class, a rapid knocking was on the door. The Vice Principal, Mr. Kelly, stepped in with a frazzled look on his face. "Mr. Kelly," Ms. Crocker's said, setting down her white piece of chalk, "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need Miss. Kringle." He explained, his gaze finding where I was sitting. The classroom filled with whispers from the other students in my class and I felt my face heat up at the attention. "Grab all of your belongings young lady." Maria, as well as the rest of the class, watched me pack my backpack up quickly. I didn't even put my papers into folders, a pit slowly forming in my stomach.

With a small wave and forced smile, I went to meet the Vice Principal at the door. He let me out of the classroom first and then began to lead me down the hall. "Do you have anything you will need in your locker, Miss. Kringle?"

I shook my head, "No sir, I don't." I almost had to jog to keep up with the tall man. "What's going on?"

"Your grandmother is in the hospital." He explained in his monotone voice. "She was on her way to the school to pick you up when she was in the middle of a car accident on Main Street." A million different thoughts were racing through my mind, but my voice seemed to disappear. "I was called to bring you down to the hospital, they will take care of it from there." I didn't have much of a choice in this situation, especially because I was still in the process of trying to comprehend what was happening.

The hospital always gave me the chills, nothing good ever coming out of them for me in general. And this trip wasn't any different. Walking into the main door, I let Mr. Kelly handle talking with the secretary and was just trying to relax myself enough to become prepared to see my grandma.

Various noises could be heard bouncing off the walls; beeping from machines, crying from children, ringing telephones. But, everything still seemed too quiet. I knew that Mr. Kelly was trying to talk to me, but I tuned him out. I didn't care what he had to say, I just wanted to see my grandma.

I followed him to the elevator and up to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital on the third floor. There were so many more doctors and nurses on this floor, and not too many rooms without glass in front of them. Finally, we stopped in front of the last door on the right, a normal door in front of it. After knocking, Mr. Kelly and I walked into the room.

Usually, my Grandma Eileen was a put together woman. Not a hair out of place, make up always on, clothes always look presentable. But with her laying in that bed, she was unrecognizable: she was bruised from the exposed skin I could see, her greying hair was all frizzy and out of place, and the hospital gown didn't help with making her seem normal. She was hooked up to all of these wires and tubes, many machines showing numbers with no meaning to me. Grandma Eileen seemed unconscious, but not just like she was sleeping.

Never, had I seen her like this before.

I felt like I wanted to cry, but I just couldn't. I walked over to the side of the bed and knelt next to it, eyes not coming off of my frail grandmother. "I'm sorry Miss. Kringle." Mr. Kelly said, seeming uninterested.

There wasn't anything I thought would be appropriate to say, I still didn't know what was actually happening. The room was quiet, other than machines doing their jobs, for what seemed like hours. I was lost in thought, just holding Grandma Eileen's hand.

A knock on the door brought me out of my trans, Mr. Kelly and I turning to see who was going to walk in the door. The doctor walked in, but he looked like he just graduated from college. Blonde hair, model type, but soft features on his face. He wore the stereotypical white doctor's coat, with black stethoscope around his neck.

"Miss. Kringle?" he asked in a calming voice. The doctor shut the door behind him after I gave a short nod. "My name is Dr. Cullen, I'm the primary doctor for your grandmother." Dr. Cullen came to Grandma Eileen's bed, opposite to me.

I didn't say anything for a moment, not really knowing where to begin when it came to asking questions. "What's happening with her?" I whispered, giving my grandma's hand limp hand a gentle squeeze.

"Unfortunately, we had to place your grandmother into an induced coma for the time being." Dr. Cullen explained. "She was in the middle of a semi-truck and SUV when the accident happened. We were surprised she was conscious when the ambulance arrived."

Finally, I looked up at the man who was taking care of Grandma Eileen. His features were relaxed, but his eyes looked like they were trying to calculate something. "When is she coming home?" I asked, not sounding very hopeful in my question.

A deep sigh escaped Dr. Cullen's lips. "As of right now, not for a long while." He began to explain, "She is in a coma, and I'm not sure when she'll wake up. Afterword's, depending on how much the body healed on its own, we can see what other rehabilitation she would need to go through."

Mr. Kelly, who was sitting in the chair by the small window, finally decided to speak up, "I mean, she was an old woman. What kind of rehabilitation would a ninety-five-year-old even survive through?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"She'll live." I said, giving the Vice Principal a glare. "She's been through worse than this, she's going to make it."

My vice principal rolled his eyes dramatically, then went back to checking his phone. "While the likelihood of her coming out is unknown, due to every coma patient's likelihood being different, I will make sure she is given the best care while she is here."

It became quiet in the room once more. Soft clicking coming from Mr. Kelly's phone or a beep from a machine. Dr. Cullen seemed to be writing down some information on a clipboard, making sure to read each number carefully. "Then, what's going to happen to me while Grandma Eileen is in here?"

"Well," Dr. Cullen said, hanging the filled-out clipboard on the foot of Grandma's bed, "while your Grandmother was still conscious, she had informed me that she requests you stay with my family and I while she is here recovering." The doctor explained slowly.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion, "I don't mean to sound rude Dr. Cullen, but why did she want me to stay with you? Does she know you from somewhere?" I asked.

"She said something about knowing my father." The doctor explained, "They might have grown up together."

That doesn't sound like something she would say, I thought, looking down at my grandma's face, but maybe she was panicked and didn't recognize who she was talking to exactly.

I looked back up at Dr. Cullen, "I would hate to intrude on your home Dr. Cullen. I know there's a lot of you guys living there. I could ask my best friend's family if I can sleep on their couch until she's better."

"There is no intrusion, Miss. Kringle." The blonde doctor said, a serious tone to his voice. "Your grandmother signed the appropriate documents, and I called my wife shortly after to explain the situation. You are fully welcomed in our home." He checked the machines one last time before making his way towards the door, "My shift ends right when visiting hours end here, so I will come by then to pick you up and then we can gather some of your belongings from your home before we leave for my home tonight." All I could do was nod, trying to process this new information on top of the other information that I was previously trying to process.

I didn't watch the doctor leave, I only knew he was gone once I heard the door shut with a soft click. Shortly after, Mr. Kelly stood from his chair and announced he was leaving as well, with another quick and half-hearted apology.

For the next three hours, it was just Grandma Eileen and I in that small hospital room. Nurses would come in periodically and press different buttons on machines or jot something down on the clipboard, but there was no talking for those three hours. I didn't let go of her limp hand the entire time, only moving when one of the younger looking nurses moved the chair from next to the window to next to the side of the bed.

Six o'clock came much more quickly than I wanted it to. A soft knock, just like before, was heard from the door before Dr. Cullen walked in. He wasn't in his doctor coat anymore, just navy dress pants with a matching dress shirt and grey tie. A light looking jacket was around his arm while he was also holding a leather brief case.

There was a sad smile on his face, "Visiting hours are over Miss. Kringle," he explained, "it's time to go say goodbye."

"Can I come back tomorrow?" I asked in a whisper.

He nodded, "After school tomorrow, you can come back until six again."

That was a good enough answer for me. With a long sigh, I placed a light kiss on Grandma Eileen's hand and set it on the bed. I took the light blanket and tucked it around her body, bringing it up to her neck like she would do for me when I was sick.

Grabbing my mustard yellow backpack from the place where I threw it, I slung it on my shoulders and walked to where the doctor was waiting. He let me walk out of the room first, shutting the door behind us. I followed the tall doctor down the hallway, listening to him saying goodbye to some of his nurses and fellow doctors on our way to the elevator.

The ride down was quiet, so was the walk to his car. It was a nice car at that, I think it was Mercedes-Benz. The car must have had automatic start because the car was toasty warm when I sat in the front seat of the car. I buckled my seat belt and sat stiffly in the car, backpack on my lap. In my whole fifteen years of existence, I had never been in anything so expensive before and I was nervous I was going to ruin it somehow.

"Is this the right address?" Dr. Cullen asked as he backed out of his spot slowly. I looked at the scratch piece of paper that he had handed me. With a nod, he took the piece back and placed it into his pocket. "We will stop quickly and I will let you grab some clothes and anything else you need. My wife called before we left to let me know that dinner will be ready by six forty-five."

Again, I gave the model-looking doctor a nod, and just started making a mental list of everything I would need and how to grab it all quickly.

I didn't think I could ever pack enough clothes for a week as fast as I did when we arrived to my small house. Dr. Cullen parked on the driveway, my grandma's red Chevy missing from its usual spot. We both walked up to the front door and I grabbed the spare house key from its hiding spot in the flower box on the window. I told him I would be fast, dropping my backpack by the front door as I ran into my room as fast as I could. I grabbed the duffle bag from the hallway closet and began throwing all of my clean clothes that I didn't put away into it. My main goal was just to make sure I had something to put on my body for a week, as well as my toothbrush and hair brush. With a last thought, a couple of shoes were thrown into the mix along with my stuffed penguin, Pebbles.

Dr. Cullen took the heavy bag for me with ease and put it into his car while I locked the house back up. The drive to his home was quiet and somewhat uncomfortable, but the drive with Mr. Kelly was worse. It seemed like we were going further and further into the countryside, the lack of lights on the road were a good indication of that too. Suddenly, the road became gravel and the ride was a little bumpier than it had been.

Finally, we pulled up to the Cullen residence, and the home was nothing like I had ever seen before. From what I could make out in the dark, the home was three stories tall, with a white exterior complemented with black shutters around the many windows. A matching wrap around porch with some black rocking chairs were also a feature to this huge home I had never seen before.

My jaw must have dropped because I heard Dr. Cullen chuckle when he parked the car, "Pretty grand, eh?"

"It's beautiful." I answered, a small blush forming on my cheeks, "I've only seen homes like these in magazines before."

I stepped out of the car, slinging my backpack onto my back. "My wife will be glad to hear that, this is her finest project to date." Dr. Cullen said. I tried to reach for my duffle bag in the trunk, but the doctor was just a little faster than I was, "I've got the bag, it seems a little too heavy for you. You must have packed a lot."

"I didn't know what to bring exactly." I confessed, following him up the driveway, and then up the front stairs.

Dr. Cullen opened the front door, a soft chime coming from the security system to indicate that someone opened the front door. He set down the heavy duffle and began to take off his jacket, "Make yourself comfortable, I can take your jacket for you." After setting my backpack down on top of my duffle bag, I shrugged off my jean jacket, letting Dr. Cullen take it off my shoulders. He hung it on the coat rack and then took his brief case, placing it underneath the coat rack. "The family must be in the kitchen, right this way."

He led the way, walking in the direction of the kitchen. On the walk, I took in the interior of the house. Many pictures lined the walls, smiling faces or pieces of art work were their subjects. The walls were light colors, so was the wood floors. Everything seemed really homey, and nothing seemed like other people lived here.

Suddenly, the house became a little louder once we made it to the kitchen. A large wooden table was the centerpiece of the kitchen, and it was occupied with what I assumed was the rest of the home's residents. A woman with caramel colored hair stood from her chair, a large smile on her heart-shaped face, "Carlisle, welcome home." She walked over to her husband, the two exchanging a small kiss. "And this must be our guest." Dr. Cullen's wife turned to me, her smile seeming to grow a little more. "My name is Esme, welcome to our home."

"Miss. Kringle gives her complements, sweetheart." Carlisle said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder, "I believe she said something about 'only in the magazines'." That caused laughter from the people sitting at the table, and a harsh blush to form on my cheeks. "I suppose I should introduce the rest of the family to you." Dr. Cullen said, calming down the laughter at the table.

A girl with short, spiky black hair stood first with a large grin on her face. She pulled on the shirt of the boy to her left, and then pulled on the shirt of the boy on her right. "I'm Alice, and these are my brothers Emmett," she gestured to the taller and muscular boy who was on her left, "and Edward." She gestured to the boy on her right, who had longer but well-kept hair.

"We're excited you're staying here." The muscular boy, Emmett, said. "Finally, evening the boys to girls ratio in the house."

Emmett had a nice, almost goofy looking smile on his face when he spoke to me. "And across from me is Jasper Hale." Alice continued, gesturing to the boy with curly blonde hair and an anxious looking expression on his face, "and his twin Rosalie is next to Emmett." The short girl was referencing to the Barbie blonde girl at the table, an analyzing look in her eyes and a frown on her face. "And mom and dad already introduced themselves, so that's everybody!"

Alice finally sat down after finishing, her smile never leaving her face. "I'm Margaret, but I prefer Maggie." I said, trying not to look anyone in the eyes. "Thank you for letting me stay here."

"The pleasure is all ours Margaret." Mrs. Cullen said, pulling out an empty chair from the table, "We don't have many guests here, so this is like a bit of a treat for us too."

Dr. Cullen sat at the chair next to the one his wife pulled out, "Please, have a seat Margaret. Esme will get your plate prepared for you."

I took the seat, whispering a 'thank you ma'am' to Mrs. Cullen, "Did I hold up dinner?" I asked, my voice involuntarily shaking a little with nerves. It still felt like all of these strangers were staring at me.

"No dear," Mrs. Cullen said, "the rest of us finished dinner a little while ago, but I had asked everyone to wait to leave until you arrived so everyone could be introduced."

It seemed like that was a bit of a code phrase because all of the kids around my age seemed to stand up and begin to leave all at once. "It was nice meeting you Maggie!" Alice said, taking Jasper's hand in hers as they began to leave the room, "It'll be fun having you around!"

Emmett nodded in agreement, following Rosalie and Edward out, "Just like havin' another little sister!"

"Please bring Margaret's belongings to the guest room Emmett!" Esme called after the tallest boy, setting a small pot on the stove.

Everyone but the parents of the house had left the room, Dr. Cullen taking the day's newspaper and spreading it out at his place at the table. The room filled with a nice smell, something with vegetables for sure, and the sound of Carlisle flipping through the newspaper was the sound in the kitchen.

Before long, a bowl of soup was placed in front of me and a spoon on the side, "It's garden vegetable soup." Mrs. Cullen explained, taking a seat next to her husband. "I hope you don't mind it."

"It smells great Mrs. Cullen, thank you for dinner." I thanked, taking a small spoonful and blowing gently. After a few sips, I began to really taste the flavors and embarrassingly began to eat the soup quickly. Only after hearing a few chuckles from the adults at the table did I stop, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't eat like this. It's not lady like."

Dr. Cullen gave me a smile, "You missed lunch today Margaret, it's understandable." Esme nodded in understanding, a smile on her face too.

I took it slower after that, finishing the bowl until there was nothing left. Esme took my bowl before I could even stand up to do the dishes on my own. "You're our guest, dear, let me take care of it. Carlisle will show you to the guest room where you'll be staying."

With that, Dr. Cullen folded the newspaper up and led me to the small spiral staircase that was in the kitchen, "These are the back stairs, the main one is in the family room. Feel free to use whichever is most convenient for you." I nodded, following behind him. I was led up to the second floor, the doctor naming rooms and their purposes, like bedrooms and bathrooms, his office and other specific rooms. "…and this is Esme and I's bedroom. It is right across from yours, so if you need anything in the night, we are right here."

Carlisle stopped in front of the guest room, opening the white wooden door for me. The room was painted light yellow, a drastic opposite to my purple room at home. The bed was also much bigger, a floral quilt covering the king-sized bed. A white vanity was over by the large window and the white doors on the closet were open, nothing inside. White towels were on the bed as well, and my duffle on the foot of the bed. "Wow, this room is huge." I said softly, still taking it all in.

"I hope this will work for you during your stay Margaret." The doctor said, gesturing to the room.

I nodded, "This is plenty, more than plenty." A look of gratitude on my face, "Thank you again for letting me stay while Grandma Eileen is in the hospital."

A smile graced his features, "The pleasure is all ours. Again, if you need anything Margaret, we are right across the hall." He grabbed the door knob, "Have a good night. Make yourself at home try to get some sleep."

"You too." I said, watching him close the door.

Once he left, I let my body sink onto the bed and I flopped down. This was the first time I have been alone all day, and I finally began to process everything. Grandma Eileen was in a coma, there was no definite answer to when she would be awake, she somehow knows the Cullen family and now I'm living with them until further notice. Before I knew it, I was back on my feet and trying to put away my belongings, the closet still looking empty with the little clothes that filled it. I decided to just get into bed, whether or not I would get any sleep was still to be determined.

After putting on my plaid pajama set, I pulled back the covers and climbed into the warm bed. I reached over to turn the lamp off and placed Pebbles into my arms. My thoughts began to wander to the other people I was now going to be living with. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen seemed very nice and welcoming, Esme almost excited to have someone new living with them. Alice and Emmett seemed nice too, Alice very optimistic and Emmett almost goofy. Then there were the others. Jasper seemed anxious when he met me, not nervous or shy but almost scared. Edward almost seemed disinterested and Rosalie mad that I was there. Soon, I felt tears start to fall onto my cheeks. At first, I thought it was because of the strangers I didn't even know not seeming to like me.

But then I realized it was because, for the first time in all of my years in Montana, I was alone.