Transmute | Emmett Cullen

6. The Cullens

"Liv, come on! The Cullens were expecting us five minutes ago!" Jack yelled through my bedroom door. "Either you come out within the next thirty seconds or I will drag you out myself."

Growling underneath my breath, I zipped up the almost knee-high, mocha-brown boots and grabbed the dark leather jacket lying across my bed. Before Jack could even think about barging into my room, I yanked open the door and slipped past him without a word. Jeez, someone decided to wear their cranky pants today.

Today we were supposed to be meeting the Cullens, but thanks to me Jack and I were going to be a few minutes late. All because I decided I wanted to smell fresh and clean instead of like dirt and the forest floor. Yes, all my fault.

Jack quickly passed me and jumped into the driver's seat of the truck. Before I climbed into the front seat myself, I threw the dark leather jacket on and zipped it up half-way, just enough to show my shirt on underneath (a black and white striped shirt with a laced collar).

"Stop with the attitude, you meathead," I muttered as I twisted my torso around to buckle up. "I am properly dressed and I wanted to smell halfway decent when we get there. Smelling gross around vampires wouldn't be the best thing, you know."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I get that. However you could have gotten ready much earlier to save time, not last minute. You knew about this since yesterday afternoon."

I groaned. "Jaaaaaaack, come on. I'm seventeen, of course I'm gonna get ready last minute and be late. I'm a teenager, what else do you expect?"

"Punctuality," he said, deadpanned. But the corners of his lips were moving into a grin and I couldn't help but smile back. Before I could say anything though, he continued. "But seriously, I wished you would have made an effort for the Cullens."

His words brought back a memory from another lifetime.

"When you're invited to someone's house, Olivia, you..."

"Make an effort, I know, Mom."

"And...?"

"Cannot be late."

My teeth dug into my bottom lip harshly as I tried not to let my emotions get to me. Jack was right after all, and so was my mother. Being invited to someone's house, no matter who or what they were, you made an effort in your appearance and you couldn't be late.

Despite being on the run a lot, my mother had taught me that manners were everything and being a lady was proper -- no matter what. Punctuality wasn't an option and neither was looking like a slob. Nor could I act like a bitch. For her, it wasn't acceptable.

My bottom lip trembled as I spoke quietly. "I know, Jack. I know."

But then my thoughts flickered to Alice Cullen.

The other day, in the field with Edward, he also mentioned his siblings. Mostly because I was curious and he wanted to give Jack and I a heads-up. He did warn me about Alice, telling me that she saw visions of humans and vampires while they were on the path she saw them on while they were on it; it was a little confusing, but he made it not-so-confusing. And then, there was Jasper who could manipulate someone's emotions. Rosalie, he said, was a little rough around the edges but she wasn't entirely bad. He mentioned Esme, Carlisle's wife, and said she was probably one of the kindest and sweetest women alive.

"Oh, I should warn you. You know how Edward can read minds?" he nodded his head hesitantly, but listened anyway. "Well, he's not the only one who has an ability. A girl has visions of the future, Alice, and her husband, Jasper, can manipulate emotions."