Chapter Two
March 1962
"Wake up!" Edward yelled in the girl's face, it was her birthday and she was turning twenty-three years old. Today was the day she would become immortal and she could hardly contain herself. Her eyes shot open and she hugged her brother, she threw her legs off of the bed and pushed the boy out with all of her might, her feet gripping on the purple shag rug on her floor.
She quickly got dressed and dashed down to the Cullen family, they stood in the kitchen making her breakfast. Her very last one, she thought and ran up to Esme and placed a kiss on her cheek. Odette was very important to Esme, Odette was her only child as hers had passed when she was human. "Good morning, Darling." Carlisle says and kisses his daughter on the right cheek.
"Bonjour, la famille!" She says and takes a seat at the table. She reaches across Emmett to grab some butter but he smacks her arm, a smile lies on her face. Even though the Cullens did not eat the sat at the table for meals with her, occasionally having a cup of blood to enjoy the meal with her. She appreciated that they sat and talked with her, it gave her a sense of normalcy.
"English, Oddie." Esme scolded her daughter, who after all these years, spoke fluent french. They had helped her master both English and French and they regretted it most of the time. "Anyway, today is your last day of sunlight. Why don't you call Athena and go to the beach maybe go on a hike." Esme says with a smile.
"That is a wonderful idea! Love you! Bye!" Odette put a piece of toast in her mouth and jumped out side, her mud covered Birkenstocks sat outside the door which she slipped on and jumped on her yellow bicycle. In the blink of an eye Odette was off to her best friend, Athena's house to take her on a trip a stupid smile covered her lips the whole way.
The small house in front of her caused a wave of sadness to engulf her. After today she would never see Athena again. Athena would have to believe that she is dead and could never get in contact with Odette. Odette had always been a positive person but this particular thought made a piece of her heart break. Odette stood in front of the oak door and took a breath in before knocking, and when she did she heard Athena's dogs begin to bark and Athena's melodic voice telling them it was okay.
When Athena answered it Odette's breath caught in her throat, Athena got more and more beautiful each time she saw her. Athena was exactly as her name sounded, she appeared to be a goddess. Athena was tall and tan, with golden brown hair and striking green eyes, Athena almost always held her head high and proud but around Odie she could be herself. "Well. Let's go!" Athena said and grabbed her bike. She was always one step ahead of Odie. "Beat you to the flower fields!" Make that two steps ahead.
Odette had never felt more free than in that moment, the pair going fast through the woods with wind blowing through their hair and the sun warming their skin. When they got to the field of wildflowers the two were exhausted and collapsed among them. They were panting and laughing, Odette would miss this. Athena smiled and grabbed Odette's hand, while using her other to point at clouds. Often times Odette found herself in love with Athena, in a way she shouldn't be, this was one of those times. "What do you see?" Athena asks and she points upward.
Odette tears her gaze away from her friend and looks up at the clouds. "I... I see." Odette doesn't know what to say. "La vie." Odette turns to see confusion on Athena's face and her mother's words from this morning ring in her head. "Life."
Athena turns her body to face Odette, her heart races and she sees those green orbs on her. "I'm moving away, Athena." Odette spits out, her heart breaks a little more. She turns to face Athena who has tears running down her cheek. Odette takes her fingers and wipes them away, "It will be okay."
"You were the one thing that made sense, Odette. Please don't go." Athena's voice cracks. Athena takes Odette's hands and yanks her off the ground. "Well. If this is it let's finish the day off well." The two had done everything they usually did. They went hiking and ate at a cute diner in town. When the dark started to close in they went to their favorite beach and just watched people play in the water while the sunset. They two sat on a blanket and listened to the laughing, the tide, the wind and the seagulls calls all around them. Peace was acheived as they didn't say a word, the didn't have to. All that could of been said had been, except for one thing. "Odette, I think I'm in love with you."
Odette couldn't respond. It wouldn't be fair of her to, so she sat and listened to Athena. "I shouldn't be, but I am. I know you're leaving and this won't change your mind. I wish I would have said something earlier. I was just so scared, my mama and papa said it was so wrong to be a lesbian." She whispered the word lesbian so nobody could hear.
"I wish you had said something too. But I have to go." Odette says, a small tear runs down her pale skin but is quickly wiped away. Odette took Athena's chin and gently moved her lips to Athena's, the kiss went as soon as it came and before Odette knew it she had taken off. Away from Athena forever, this was the start of her knew life and nothing would take it from her, not even her lovely Athena.
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear, Odie! Happy birthday to you!" Her family sang. Odette smiled and blew out the candles on the cake, this was it.
"Are you ready?" Carlisle asked her. She simply nodded and took her fathers arm as he lead her to her room. The process was painful and would leave her asleep for a few days but Odette was ready for it, well as ready as she could be. When his teeth sank in her skin she gasped in pain but soon the pain went away, only for a moment. The next burning pain set in, Odette screamed for she had never felt such an intense pain in her life before.
The pain lasted days although she wasn't tired she was exhausted. While she was burning she tried to keep her mind off it, even though it was hard she thought of Athena's eyes and her laugh. God her laugh could make the most Holy cry.
The process took a week for her and Esme wondered if she would ever wake up. She sat beside her daughter for days, holding her hand and whispering that she would be here for her always. Esme had never felt more relieved to see red eyes than when her daughter's had opened.
This was a new chapter in Odette's life, and by God she was going to rule it.
•translations•
Bonjour, la famille: Hello, Family!
La vie: Life
