It started with a note.
Folded. Fancy script. Smelled faintly like sandalwood and existential dread.
Bella handed it over like it was a bomb.
"They want you for dinner."
Annabelle opened it.
Dear Annabelle,You are cordially invited to dinner with the Cullen family.(No pressure, we won't eat you.)
— Carlisle Cullen
"Is this a trap?" Annabelle asked, holding it up to the light like a counterfeit dollar.
"It's… diplomacy," Bella muttered. "Don't sass them too much. Especially Rosalie."
"No promises."
Arrival at the Cullen House
Annabelle dressed the way she always did: like a girl who might bench you and your feelings. Pink glitter hoodie. Combat boots. Lip gloss. Cut-off jeans. And a "Suns Out, Guns Out" tank top… even though it was raining.
Esme greeted her at the door like a Pinterest board in a sweater.
"Welcome, dear!"
Inside, the Cullens stood in formation like a vampire boy band.
Edward: broodingAlice: bouncingRosalie: glaringJasper: tenseEmmett: starstruckCarlisle: polite dad mode
Annabelle grinned. "Hey, glitter gang. What's for dinner?"
The Dinner That Wasn't
They served her actual human food. Lasagna, salad, breadsticks—the works. Clearly store-bought.
Annabelle poked it suspiciously. "Is this poisoned?"
"No," Rosalie snapped. "It's microwaved."
"Bold of you to assume I'm picky," Annabelle replied, taking a massive forkful and talking while chewing. "This is delightful. Y'all have seasoning and everything."
Edward stared, looking like he was trying to telepathically understand her bicep structure.
"I'm sorry," she said finally, setting down her fork. "Are you trying to read my mind again?"
He flinched. "No."
"You're terrible at lying. It's adorable."
Alice's Social Blitz
Alice took her by the hand like a manic wedding planner.
"You HAVE to come to our baseball game. It's tradition. It's thrilling. You'll love it."
"I don't do cardio unless something's chasing me."
"You'll want to see Emmett in action. Trust me."
Emmett flexed. "We play with thunder. You in?"
Annabelle narrowed her eyes. "Fine. But if someone sparkles on me, I'm charging rent."
Part 2 – Vampire Baseball: Chaos on the Field
It was storming.
Lightning cracked the sky. Thunder rumbled like God's subwoofer.
Annabelle stood in a borrowed Cullen jersey, arms crossed, glitter hoodie peeking out. She had no bat. She had no gloves. She had confidence.
Emmett tossed her a bat the size of a fence post."Try not to break it."
She swung once. The bat broke.
"…I meant the ball," he said, stunned.
Annabelle's Turn at Bat
"Let's go, baseball Barbie," Rosalie called.
Annabelle stepped up, cracked her neck, and whispered to herself:
"You are swole. You are speed. You are a gym god in eyeliner."
Alice pitched.
Annabelle smashed the ball into another ZIP CODE.
There was a two-second silence.
Then Emmett whooped. "HOLY—SHE SENT THAT THING TO NARNIA."
"Was that…was that a homerun?" Jasper asked.
"THAT WAS A HOMEPHENOMENON," Emmett yelled.
Everyone Has an Existential Crisis
Edward muttered, "That shouldn't be possible. Her physiology—her bones shouldn't handle that—"
"Bro, you're a 100-year-old sparkle bat who drinks deer blood," Annabelle said. "Let me have this."
Rosalie scowled. "Is she a vampire?"
"No," Carlisle whispered. "She's… something else."
Alice beamed. "I like her."
Intermission: Trash Talk & Thunderclaps
Between innings, Annabelle leaned on a tree like a smug demigod.
"I thought vampires were fast."
"We are," Jasper muttered.
"Oh good. Then you'll have no excuse when I smoke you."
"You're awfully confident," Rosalie said.
"Confidence is just cocky optimism with better lighting."
Edward, watching her from across the field, quietly reevaluated his entire concept of masculinity.
"Why is her internal monologue louder than mine?"
The Game Is Interrupted…
Suddenly, Alice went stiff.
"They're coming."
The thunder paused.
Carlisle stepped forward. "Visitors. Not like us."
"More vampires?" Annabelle asked.
"Yes," Alice whispered. "Three of them."
Annabelle cracked her knuckles. "Cool. Let me go change into my butt-kicking lip gloss."