Growing Up In The Shadows - The Life of Renesmee Cullen

Grown Up - Chapter 1

The cheers coming from my family were overwhelming. As I blew out the candles on my cake, I looked around at the room of my smiling family. It's my 8th birthday, but my physical and mental age is now 16. Finally grown up. I don't know how humans can stand having to wait so long. 8 years is bad enough.

"Nessie, make a wish!" Alice squealed.

"I can't! Thanks to dad's stupid mind reading powers!" I shot him a smile from across the room.

"Hey be nice Ness!" Dad said quickly in response. Sometimes I wish that I could have a bit of privacy. I shoot my dad a warning look, 'quit reading my thoughts dad!' I scan my eyes across the room and come across the moving door, I wonder who's here.

"I bet you'll be happy," Dad said, knowing what I thought. The person who was walking through the door was the only person missing here and I couldn't believe I didn't realize he wasn't here. Jake, his smile spreading from ear to ear. I run to him and give him a strangling hug.

"Jake!" I said as he embraced me in his bone crushing hug. "Easy Jake, I just turned 8, you could be committed for child abuse," I said with a giggle and a playful slap on the shoulder. He drops me suddenly and storms out the door. I run after him and spin him around to face me.

"Hey where do you think-" He cuts me off with his big smile greeting me. "Ha, ha, your hilarious Jacob Black," My sarcastic tone obviously needing some work.

"You told me to ease off!" He can be such an idiot sometimes.

"You know that's not what I meant you idiot," I scold him and he chuckles,

"Oh so now I'm an idiot, you really aren't a good host to your guests Miss Cullen," and without thinking I tackle him to the ground.

When we finish wrestling it's only then then I realize that my family have gone back to their daily routine. Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper arguing about some football game on T.V, Esme cooking, with Carlisle sitting there and joking around. Mom, Rose and Aunt Alice are arguing about something to do with fashion and Dad is playing his new piano.

"What are you thinking about?" Jake asked me, breaking me out of my trance.

"Nothing, just that only 10 minutes ago, my whole family was fussing over me and my birthday and now they hardly even know I've left," I say turning to face him. His beautiful big brown eyes staring at me curiously.

"We've been wrestling out here for an hour Ness," He chuckles, "How come you never use your gift anymore? You always explain what you're thinking about,"

"AN HOUR! Time flies when your having fun I guess. I don't know, I kind of grew out of it, I still kind of use it, occasionally," He turns to face me, and suddenly a blush rises to my cheeks. What! Why am I blushing. Oh come on Renesmee, you know why. I pull my hands up to my cheeks, to cover up my rosie cheeks.

"Is that a blush I see?" Jake says pushing my hands out of the way.

"No!" I roll onto my side so he can't see my face. Next thing I know, he jumps on top of me and pushes me onto my back and pins my hands beside my head.

"You ARE blushing!" He teases. I sit up, pushing him off me and shaking my hands free.

"Jacob," My dad calls. "Why don't you come inside instead of pinning my daughter into the driveway," I get up and walk inside, Jacob flanking me all the way through the door.