Begin Again ▷ Jared Cameron

ONE

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ONE; HOSPITALS

     JACOB COULDN'T REMEMBER when everything fell apart.

     The Black family was known for always being so calm and peaceful, which wasn't necessarily a false statement. Rachel and Rebecca kept to themselves most of the time. The only problems the twins ever had were the discussion of boyfriends and who was going to get a car first. Jacob knew he was admired by his father from a young age because he was the only boy, but no one held a finger to Penelope. She usually had her hair tied in pigtails and was adorned with a sparkly pink tutu. Everyone could tell Penelope was the favorite of the family just by a first glance.

     Penelope loved the beach. She would make sand castles while Rachel and Rebecca were flirting with some of the boys on the reservation. Even if Jacob was younger in age, he was assigned with the job of watching his sister. He knew the consequences if Penelope were to get lost or swim too far in the ocean.

     Penelope loved school. She found it so intriguing that everyday when she walked in, there was a new lesson to be taught. She enjoyed being around her other classmates and singing songs with her teacher. Penelope's favorite part was story time because her teacher used to read the novel in such an excited tone, and she felt as if she was the heroine of the story herself.

     Penelope loved the Clearwater's. As soon as their front door opened, the girl would zoom into Harry's arms, giggling loudly. The man would pick her up and hold her tightly to his chest, kissing her cheek fondly. Leah and Penelope were best friends, discussing about new toys they saw on the television at every given moment. Seth had a tiny crush on the girl since she first came around. He couldn't say three words to her if he tried.

     Penelope loved the color pink. Sarah and Billy painted her nursery with the typical generic color, and it was the first image Penelope could remember. Rachel and Rebecca strayed towards darker colors, so Sarah had to buy a whole new wardrobe for their youngest daughter. If someone ever saw Penelope wearing something other than pink, they knew a terrible incident occurred.

     Penelope loved her sisters. Rachel and Rebecca weren't around the house that often because of school, and they liked to head to Port Angeles with their friends. Rachel favored Jacob over Penelope, but Rebecca favored Penelope over Jacob. Either way, when Penelope would walk into her sisters' room and ask to try their clothing on, it would turn into an all night laughing session of watching Penelope strut around in high heels.

     Penelope loved her mother. She would follow her around the house, attempting to mimic her movements in a silly fashion. She volunteered to assist Sarah in cooking, cleaning, and going grocery shopping. The other three kids were relieved that they didn't have to tag along themselves because Penelope did it for them. She was glad to just be in her mother's presence because she believed that Sarah was the strongest woman in the world.

     Penelope loved anything and everything in her life. Whether it be her home life or school life, she was delighted by the simplest things.

     She would forever be one of La Push's greatest treasures.

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     It was cold and windy when Sarah decided to go out. She forgot some ingredients to cook dinner, and she and Penelope had to make a last minute grocery shopping trip. Penelope was dressed in her pink parka and fur boots. As soon as she was strapped into her car seat, which she protested against because she was already ten years old, the two took off.