After the plane landed we head out of the airport and see Charlie waiting by his police cruiser for us. Seeing us he starts to wave at us and smile. Bella stumbled on her way off the plane but luckily I caught and steadied her. Thanks to my fast reflexes. This causes Bella to sigh in embarrassment even more and duck her head while speed-walking towards Charlie but she again stumbled on her way. This time Charlie caught her in a one-armed hug awkwardly and steadied her again. "It's good to see you, Bells." he said, smiling. "You haven't changed much. How's Renee?"
"Mom's fine. It's good to see you, too, Dad." She replied awkwardly.
"Hey Allen! Wow did you grow to become big, how have you been?" Charlie asked me after giving me a big hug. I smiled at his awkward greeting. But returned the hug whole-heartedly. Though opposite to me Bella felt quite reserved.
"I have been alright what about you? How's life as the chief police?" I ask him while Bella had her hoodie up to hide from people.
"Not very different when I wasn't the chief though only responsibilities increased." It was an hour of drive from Port Angeles to Forks.
Bella was glad that Dad has us already registered for high school and was going to help us get a transport.
"Bells, I found a good car for you, really cheap." Charlie spoke breaking the momentary and awkward silence that descended for a while.
"What kind of car?" Bella asked suspiciously. I just rolled my eyes at her and put on my head phones and tuned them out. I just stared out the windows. The atmosphere was as it was before. The greenery was what made my heart flutter. It was what I always liked. Raining, snow, cloud and no sign of sun. Forks had just the environment. I could even see Bella looking at the greenery with a strange expression like disgust. We were twins but the most striking thing among us was our likes and habits were opposite to each other. Bella liked dry and sunny weather and I liked rainy and cloudy.
Eventually we reached our old yet new home from now. Charlie still lived in the old house, three-bedroom house with a small basement-storeroom that he had with our mother in the early days of their marriage.
"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" When Bella's gaze landed on the red coloured truck of big rounded fenders, she shouted in surprise.
"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said. I shook my head at them and took our stuff upstairs.
I had only a small bag since I didn't had many winter clothes but a few things which I had bought before coming here. On the other hand, Bella had her whole wardrobe packed in a massive suitcase. I don't know what mom were thinking, packing all her light clothes for this dreadfully cold weather zone.
"Hey, Allen! I had left your things in the basement untouched." Charlie turned to me and said with a smile. And then took Bella's things to her room. I 'unloaded' all my stuff and fixed my room a little bit. With the copied and accumulated knowledge of tens of experts, it was a piece of cake to fix my room. While I was on it, Dad came back from Bella's room.
"Allen, I had that little PC fixed for you in the basement. And there is something that you might like even more." Dad told me with a wide smile which made me happy that he had been trying so hard to make us feel happy. I nodded and went to the basement and saw that there a latest gaming console and my old PC on one side in top shape which brought smile on my face. I liked playing games not because they felt entertaining to me but it just became an embarrassing habit. I thought if I play these games, my Instant Copy ability would copy the skills of the MC in the game. When I played for a few days, it didn't work on the game but just became a bad habit.
Before I could immerse myself some more, I jolted myself forcefully out of my habit and went to see how Bella was holding up. When I reached her room she was looking over her old stuff in her room which wasn't much different from what I remembered from our childhood. I could even see her small rocking crib in the corner of the room.
"Bella!" I approached her bed and sat beside her. I could even remember when we came to visit Dad as seven year olds, he had our beds replaced.
"Allen!" When I sat beside her, she put her head on my shoulder and said softly but I could feel the worry in her voice.
[Bella's POV]
I glanced around the room that I had never visited for a long time. The old environment was never gone. The study table, the paintings and the settings, everything… well not everything is old considering my bed which has replaced my crib since I was a child.
The best things about Charlie is that he left me alone to pack and settle. I unpacked my clothes and sat on the bed. Thinking about school fills me with fright. My ivory-skin, blue eyes or red hair and not so athletic physique.
But then when I glanced upon my own reflection in the mirror. I sighed and thought that I can't relate to anyone. Not even my mom who I was so close to. But then there was my sweet brother. I have heard about the closeness of twins. Seeing him proves that idea to me. Now when I felt so lonely and I lost almost every hope of not being an out-cast, he seems to see what I really feel. Even now when I looked into his eyes. The flash of understanding reassures me that there is someone who could understand me even if all hope for me is lost.
[Flashback]
Our bond grew stronger after an incident that occurred during a camping trip I took with my school. One morning, I ventured into the forest for a peaceful walk, only to find myself lost after a few minutes.
As panic began to consume me, a famished grizzly bear, just awakened from hibernation, charged towards me with ferocious intent. In the nick of time, my brother leaped between us, forcefully pushing me out of harm's way.
For what felt like an eternity, I helplessly witnessed the bear relentlessly mauling my brother. Yet, to my astonishment, a peculiar shield of shimmering silver materialized around him, incessantly safeguarding him from the bear's onslaught. Though he bled profusely, the shield remained steadfast in its protection.
I sat there, paralyzed by shock, until I saw him seize a stone from the ground and strike the bear with it. This unexpected blow momentarily stunned the beast, causing it to retreat a few steps and shake its head with rage, fixing its gaze upon Allen once again.
In the meantime, Allen managed to acquire a sizeable branch, which he skillfully wielded like a staff seen in ancient Chinese martial arts films. His movements were remarkably fluid, as though he had honed these skills for centuries. As the bear lunged at him, Allen deflected its attack and swiftly retaliated, targeting the bear's vulnerable spots. Frustrated by its inability to land a hit, the bear attempted to pursue me, but Allen adamantly shielded me from harm.
Eventually, the bear recognized the futility of its efforts and retreated, conceding defeat. By this point, Allen's body was ravaged with wounds, despite the continuous protection of the enigmatic shield. From that moment onward, he urged me to keep his secrets, and I knew he was my guardian angel, tirelessly safeguarding me from all harm.
[Flashback END]
"Bella!" I was jolted out of my reverie by his tender voice. "Allen!" I responded weakly, our unspoken connection saying it all. He understood my fear of unfamiliar faces and had just discerned my anxiety about school. Gently, he caressed my shoulders, guiding me downstairs for dinner.
After sharing a meal with Charlie and Allen, I retired to my room, preparing for the beginning of a new school chapter the next day. The ceaseless patter of rain and the gusts of wind against the roof refused to recede into the background. I buried myself under the quilt, and eventually added a pillow to shield myself further. However, slumber eluded me until I heard the soft click of my bedroom door.
"Trouble sleeping?" Allen's familiar voice reached me as he entered, carrying a few books. He placed them on my study table. His mere presence in my room exuded an aura of comfort, casting a soothing spell upon the entire space. The room, once haunted, now felt like the coziest haven, lulling my heavy eyelids into quivering submission. He approached my bed, settling down beside me and tenderly wiped away tears that I didn't even realize had fallen. Resting my head on his shoulder, I felt the turmoil within me come to a peaceful standstill.
"Stormy weather?" he asked in our typical unfinished sentence manner.
"Hmmm," I murmured, knowing he already understood my response. He began to gently stroke my hair while engrossed in whatever he was reading. I couldn't help but marvel at how a high school student could delve into books beyond the realm of romantic novels.
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[Allen's POV]
After Bella slept, I put her on the bed and let her head rest on my lap. Bella slept while I sat on the bed rubbing her head gently. It was our normal routine. Whenever Bella felt sad, she'd have trouble sleeping. Even the lights were dim but I could see pretty much a lot everything in the dark. Maybe an ability I had accidently copied from a cat or the grizzly bear that attacked Bella when we were kids or some other kind of animal.
I sat beside her while listening to the sound of the rain and wind. It wasn't until midnight, when the rain finally settled a little quieter. But I continued to set because I knew if I went anywhere she would just wake up again. I didn't need any sleep due to my unique physiology. Not that I couldn't sleep but just it felt like wasting a lot of my precious time on sleeping.
I focused on my book and momentarily rubbing Bella's hair. When the little sparks of dawn appeared in the sky, I could faintly see thick fog covering the whole place outside the windows. I waited for a few hours to hear the chirping of birds in the nearby trees. I left Bella's room and went to kitchen to prepare breakfast. It didn't took much time to prepare breakfast. I was so engrossed in cooking that I didn't hear Bella entering the kitchen. When I turned around to set the table, I noticed that it was already set. After a few moments, dad also joined us for breakfast which went unusually quiet. He wished us good luck and then left in his car.
Dad had prepared a very thick jacket for Bella but I knew better. I had already prepared her a long coat which was warm but very light. Bella can't carry heavy clothes. I went to her room and saw Bella about to put the very thick coat. I handed over the coat I brought and gave it to her, "Here, Bells! I know you would just stumble on the way if you wear that coat."
"Hey! I am not that clumsy!" while taking the coat and giving a grateful eye to me.
"I don't like the colour of your truck, I was thinking of a little tempering with it the next weekend. What do you think?" I said while looking at her truck outside the house.
"I also think it's a little too bright. Though I am thankful Dad thought about getting it for us." Bella said shrugging her shoulders.
"Why didn't you buy yourself a bike or something? I am sure you would have enough money from you're A&I Enterprises." She said while climbing into the truck. A&I was a company I had built. Having future knowledge is a very good think, you know? A&I stands for Allen and Isabella respectively. A&I company makes technical communication tools, such as; smartphones, LCD & LED screens, Computers, Laptops etc. There is another branch in the company that makes cars, bikes and other vehicles etc. I could just buy us a car but Charlie gifted Bella that truck and I felt really weird if I give her a car. So, I will just fix the truck myself.
"I could buy one but I don't want to. Besides it would just feel weird for Dad that I could buy myself something better when he only bought a truck. I don't know but the school admissions and everything would have also cost a lot to him." I said nonchalantly while climbed into the seat next to Bella.
Bella looked at everything inside her truck with an excited look in her eyes. The insides were pretty nice and cleaned. I was entirely sure that Bella only liked it because it was the only place outside the house which was dry. She doesn't like being wet. So do I but I do like the raining seasons. I don't enjoy getting wet in the rain but the feeling it arouses in me is something I can't just pass.
We spend the rest of the travel in talking till we reached the school. The school was not what we were used to like those in Arizona but still considering the small town, Forks, it was pretty amazing. I led Bella along the way while distracting her by constantly making jokes and teasing. She also seemed to have realized that I was just trying to distract her from her previous state. When we entered the school premises, the insides were warmer and brightly lit. Looking at Bella she also seems to taken a sigh of relief which could be seen on her face. She was looking around at the plants and plastic pots. I focussed on the three desks in front of us and left Bella to her own thoughts. I asked one of the women on the desk who had red hairs and wore large glasses. She noticed our approach and asked with a smile, "Can I help you, dear?"
"Hello! We are the new students. Dad asked us to check-in here. I am Allen Swan and this is my twin-sister, Bella." I introduced us and saw the women smiled at us and replied, "Of course," she began and got busy looking through some documents while humming an incomprehensible sound. "I have your schedules right here, and a school map. You have similar classes except for two subjects. Mr Allen Swan, you have a Mathematics and Computer Science class while Miss Bella has Biology and Chemistry. And Chief Swan also mentioned that you wanted to take History and Arts classes also. I must say that is going to be tough. Are you sure about all this?"
"Yeah, I won't have any problems. Thank you, so much."
"Let's go, Bella." After taking the map of the school, I left her desk and returned to our truck but I took Bella's hand and guided her around to tour the places since I also needed to grasp my school premises. I also looked through my class schedule that contained all the subjects I will have to study; Physics, Computer Science, Government, History, Trigonometry, Spanish, English, and Ethics. There were also physical fitness and dance classes. I can't help but feel a sense of Deja-Vu remembering the subjects that I had studied in my previous life. I walked with Bella to our first class which was Literature and in here we would have to go through the text of several famous writers and poets.
The class was kind of exciting in contrast to what I expected to be boring. While we were walking there was also a boy who seemed Asian by facial features tried to approach us or more precisely Bella but one look from me had him run away. I took Bella's hand and led her towards Building 4 where our next class, Trigonometry was. The teacher Mr Varner make us introduce us in the front of the whole class. Contrary expectations, Bella introduced herself pretty well without stammering though blushed a lot which even made her trip on the way but I held her before she could fall off and embarrass herself. Miraculously she joined Jessica and Angela who introduced themselves as. I fell asleep in the back of the class while they just chatted about something intensely. Of course my introverted sister Bella didn't take any part in the conversation much though. After the class, I followed Bella and the two girls to the lunchroom where we were introduced to several other of their friends including Eric, Mike and a few more strangers. But my ears were perked when I heard Bella.
"Who are they?"
As I turned my head in that direction, my gaze landed on five incredibly pale figures seated there. A sudden jolt ran through my body, not from shock, but from a surge of my Instant Copy ability and an unexplainable connection that overwhelmed me. A chilling coldness enveloped me, and I felt a sense of disarray as my heightened senses spiraled out of control. The world around me came into sharp focus, every sound magnified to an astonishing degree. The faint crackling of spoons in the cafeteria reached my ears, expanding my range to encompass the entire school and even a small portion of the surrounding forest and highway. I could hear the distant chirping of birds, their voices carrying to me from miles away. Amidst the cacophony of sounds and racing thoughts, I also sensed a profound sense of completeness, a feeling I had never experienced before. And all of it seemed to converge on a single person—Alice. Could she be my soulmate? This thought wrestled within me as I struggled to regain control. An invisible force seemed to tug at me, drawing me towards her. Our fleeting gaze locked for what felt like an eternity, but the overwhelming sensation of my newfound abilities demanded that I snap back to reality.
Not only was I privy to the voices resonating within me, the sounds of muscles cracking and regenerating, causing a wave of pain throughout my body, but I also managed to resist the urge to give in. Determined, I remained rooted in my spot, exercising all my willpower. Even the auditory sensations reverberated within my head. Time elapsed, the lunch break concluded, yet I continued my battle to control my heightened senses.
My meditation was momentarily interrupted when Bella spoke, "The lunch break is over, Allen. I'm heading to my Biology class with Angela. See you later."
"Yeah, I'll finish eating and head to my CS class," I replied, striving to maintain a façade of normalcy. But I couldn't escape the faint glimmer of doubt in Bella's eyes.
"Are you okay?" she inquired, her concern palpable. I simply offered a plain response of "I'm good" in an attempt to evade detection. Though unconvinced, she departed, casting a suspicious glance my way.
Once she was gone, I closed my eyes and delved back into meditation, channeling my focus towards gaining control over my newfound nerves and abilities. Emerging from my mental cocoon, I took inventory of the abilities I had recently copied. Telepathy from Edward, Super Strength from Emmett, Empathy from Jasper, Mate-Bond Detection from Sarah—a completely unfamiliar character—then Precognition and Future Sight from Alice.
Nearly forty-five minutes of intense meditation were required to bring my newfound abilities under control, enough to prevent them from becoming a constant bother. My complexion had returned to normal from the vampire-like pallor, and I discovered the ability to manipulate my physical appearance, resembling either a vampire or a human at will. I also sensed a dense aura enveloping my entire body, akin to the shield Bella possessed. This ability would require practice, as it had instinctively protected me from the bear during our childhood encounter in the forest.
Now, I focused on the inexplicable bond I felt—a sense of completeness, as if a missing puzzle piece had finally fallen into place. Allen couldn't shake the intensity of this feeling whenever he made eye contact with Alice Cullen. It was an entirely new sensation, a tug at his heart, urging him to take action.
As he contemplated whether to proceed to his class or wait for Bella, a familiar gaze settled upon his back. Intrigued, he glanced over his shoulder and discovered Alice Cullen once again fixated on him. Meeting her gaze head-on, Allen noticed a smile forming on the female vampire's face. His half-vampire self stirred with excitement.
Unable to resist, Allen returned Alice's smile as she approached him. "Can I help you?" he asked politely, unsure of how to navigate this situation.
"Allen Swan, right?" Alice inquired rhetorically, her eyes betraying her knowledge of his identity.
"And you are Dr. Cullen's daughter, Alice Cullen," Allen managed to respond, unaccustomed to the strange sensations pulsating in his chest, his heart pounding. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain composure, and upon glimpsing Alice's surface thoughts, he understood that she desired his phone number.
"Did you need something?" Allen asked, suppressing his emotions, unknowingly slipping into his colder demeanor, momentarily surprising Alice.
"Your number... if that's alright with you," she replied with a playful grin, extending her phone towards him.
"Only if you give me yours," Allen managed to utter, regaining control over his emotions.
Alice's eyebrow arched at his response, but she maintained her smile. "Thanks! See you later, handsome," she remarked, retrieving her phone. Turning on her heel, she saunteredaway, leaving Allen in a dazed state. Yet, once she disappeared from view, Allen's phone chimed, signaling a new message. Opening it, he discovered a text from an unknown number. It was Alice's number, accompanied by her name as the message.
As the time for our gym class approached, I made my way towards the gym room, anticipating Bella's arrival. Just as I was about to enter, I spotted Bella entering with a blond boy whom I recognized as Mike. "Hey, Bells!" I called out to her, immediately sensing a spark of joy in her eyes.
"Allen!" She greeted me with enthusiasm.
"Mike!" I nodded at the other boy as he headed into the gym classroom. Observing Bella's demeanor, I couldn't help but notice a subtle change. I surmised that it might have something to do with that guy.
"Go change your clothes, Bella! We'll talk later," I reassured her with a smile, gesturing towards the girls' locker room. We joined the others for a game of volleyball, but Bella seemed a bit off, stumbling occasionally. After the final bell rang, we left the class together to submit our paperwork.
However, I noticed Edward engaged in an argument with a woman whose name I had neglected to learn. He appeared adamant about changing his class to something else. Suddenly, I sensed a slight flicker of Bella's shield, a ripple of distortion. Perplexed, I turned my gaze to where she was looking and found Edward's eyes fixed on her with a malevolent intensity. It seemed as though he was emanating an aura of predator-like energy. Anger surged within me at the sight.
Edward's head snapped towards me, and a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes before he hastily retreated. Bella and the woman at the counter exchanged confused glances. Then I shifted my attention back to Bella, who regarded me with a strange expression, though she appeared more at ease now. I offered her a reassuring smile and gestured towards the counter. Collecting herself, Bella approached the receptionist.
"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist inquired in a motherly tone.
"Good," we both replied simultaneously. Although the receptionist seemed unconvinced by Bella's response, she seemed to understand that Bella was introverted. As for me, I, too, possessed introverted tendencies, but my introversion often gave way to moments of boldness, coupled with the fact that I never experienced fear.
Feeling Bella's sadness, I let out a sigh and guided her straight to the truck. Assisting her as she climbed in, I settled into the driver's seat.
"Allen!" Bella began in a muffled voice. "Do I smell?"
I understood what she meant. Placing my arm around her shoulder, I hugged her from the side. "No! You don't smell," I assured her honestly. It would be entertaining to witness a scene like this in a movie, but witnessing it firsthand, with my own sister, who struggled to make friends and spent most of her time in solitude, asking me such a question only underscored the depth of her sadness. I knew she missed our mom. She was the only person, besides me, with whom she could truly be herself.