A new start.

[Edward Rackley]

A tiny bell rang out as Edward pushed open the door and stepped swiftly to the side to allow Rosalie pass. She gave him a slight smile and glided into the coffee shop. The smell of coffee beans surrounded Edward as he too stepped into the shop. He'd never been too much of a coffee lover, but Rosalie wanted to explore, so he figured they would start somewhere with a nice atmosphere. Plus, Seattle was known for its coffee. Maybe he could acquire a taste for it. He looked back over his shoulder. The day was surprisingly sunny. He'd expected constant rain. Edward turned back and scanned the shop for Rosalie. He spotted her with her finger pressed against her lip, squinting up at the menu. He smirked and walked to her side.
"Whatcha want?" Rosalie peered at Edward.
Edward narrowed his eyebrows. "'Whatcha'?".
Rosalie nodded and replied in her best American accent "Wellll...If we're gonna live in America, we might as well talk like 'em. Right?"
Edward rolled his eyes. "Don't be rude Rosey."
Rosalie sighed. "You still didn't answer my question."
"Surprise me." Edward escaped to a table before Rosalie could protest. In one swift move, Edward slid into the tall seat and neatly folded his hands in his lap. He peered back over at Rosalie, who was waiting for her order, staring longingly across the room. Edward searched for the target of her gaze. It was a group of teenagers, talking and laughing. Edward knew Rosalie had to leave her friends in Liverpool without any goodbyes and now she craved that friendship. Edward had never been much of a socialist and Rosalie was...well...a popular teenage girl. Guilt rushed over Edward as Rosalie's expression replayed in his head. They had to leave. Why did he feel guilt? Surely they would have been killed.
"Here. Its a frappuccino." Rosalie appeared, her expression back to her normal bright smile.
"A Frappa-what?" Edward eyed the drink suspiciously.
"Drink it. Its good. I promise." Rosalie sipped her drink. "See. I'm not dead."
Edward chuckled and took a sip.
"Whatcha think?" Rosalie searched his face eagerly.
"I think you should stop saying Whatcha." Edward raised an eyebrow.
"I just want to fit in." Rosalie scribbled her name in the condensation on the outside of her cup.
"Don't worry Rosey." Edward placed his hand on hers, "People will like you. They always do."
Rosalie shrugged and sipped her drink, letting her eyes wander around the small shop. Edward looked down at the caramel colored drink in front of him. He stirred the icy coffee continuously with his straw. They had to come here. This was their new life. A new start.

[Mercedes James]

i've only got myself to answer to

<sup>The girl moved easily down the street. The sunny weather was a lovely change from the typical Seattle rain. The attire of the day was a jean mini skirt with capri leggings underneath, low cut black converse shoes, and a rather tight purple tank top, leaving part of a large leaopard tattoo visible on her right shoulder. Her thick black hair was left to wander today, and it hung neatly by her face, for once not flattened by the rain. Seattle really was a rather disgusting city, with all the rain and what not, but Mercedes had found it rather to her liking.

Her i-pod was blasting in her ears today as she walked the streets, just letting her feet wander. She soon found that she was being carried closer and closer to Starbucks. She paused at the door, and, with a shrug, entered, the bell tingling sweetly in the air, although she couldn't hear it. She tugged her earbuds out of her ears as she moved up to the counter. It was a fairly slow day, although a group of college age kids laughed among themselves in the corner. Tucking the black i-pod into a tight pocket, leaving the shape outlined on her hip, the girl glanced up at the menu, playing with her tongue ring absently.

She stepped forward as her turn came, ordering a double shot hazlenut latte. It didn't take long for the drink to be made and she was soon stepping away from the counter with the drink in hand. As she passed by the table of the couple, her cell phone went off, blaringly loud in the fairly quiet atmosphere. Obviously without noticing the pair, she set her drink on their table, scrambling to find her cell phone in the mess of her purse. People gave her rather dirty looks as she yanked the cell phone out, slipping the Razr open. She snapped it shut. Obviously she'd missed the call. She looked up and her eyes got a little bit bigger. "Holy shit, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, snatching her drink from their table and taking a step back, currently feeling like a complete idiot...</sup>

[Edward Rackley]

Edward glanced up at the girl, startled. Apparently he had been daydreaming and missed quite a scene according the girl's expression.
"Its fine really." Rosalie smiled warmly at the girl.
Edward raised and eyebrow at the girl, puzzled. Her thick, dark hair rested in a frame around her face. He watched as she whipped her bangs to the side with a quick jerk of her head. He studied her thin frame. He had to admit, she was attractive. His eyes wandered back to her face where the girl's bright blue eyes met his. He immediately fixed his attention to his feet. He'd been staring. Not an uncommon habit for Edward. He was more an observer than a talker. He'd never been a good socializer, particularly to girls. He felt the girl's eyes on him still and helplessly looked to Rosalie for salvation. Rosalie realized her brother's uncomfort and introduced herself to the girl. Edward sighed with relief. He'd always believed Rosalie and himself shared a mind connection. It was as if she was Leia and he was Luke. He listened as the two girls shared a conversation consisting of small talk. Rosalie's voice had a new tone than before. Almost excited. Edward knew she was at home at this moment. Talking. It was, after all, her specialty.

The girl's voice seemed welcoming enough to Edward. He glanced back up to see her smiling down at Rosalie, obviously enjoying the conversation. Her tongue sparkled as she spoke. Edward soon realized it was a piercing. Oh! And a nose piercing to match. Interesting. Edward smiled at his secret remark. Not that he had anything against piercings, but he wondered if she was anything like the guys back in England who's hobbies were to pierce every visible body part and more. The more he looked at her piercings, the more he began to think they were rather cute. Edward chuckled. This America was really getting to him. He then felt two pairs of eyes on him. He looked up to see both girls staring at him as if he had just tried to teach them physics. Had he laughed out loud?
"Er...sorry." Edward said to neither girl in particular.

[Mercedes James]

i've only got myself to answer to

<sup>The girl breathed a sigh of relief. Oh good. They weren't mad or some dumb thing like that. People could be so stupid sometimes, set off by the littlest of things. She settled easily into the conversation with Rosalie. It wasn't long before she had grabbed a chair and settled herself neatly into it. Obviously she was quite the social, outgoing creature.

Yes, her piercings were rather obvious, especially her tongue piercing, as she played with it almost constantly when she wasn't talking. It kept her busy, she supposed. It was one of those things that she did subconciously, that she hardly noticed doing.

She was quite the bubbly, outgoing little thing. The conversation rolled on and it wasn't long before she placed their accent as English and found that they'd been from London. "Oh, that's hot!" she exclaimed. She was rather amusing sometimes. She was just so bright and kind of in your face. Definitely one of those who wasn't hard to get along with.

She glanced over as the boy laughed. She grinned, a bit self conciously, not quite sure what he'd laughed at. She smiled and nodded at his apology. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name... she said quietly, loosing some of her confident air. She wondered if he'd introduced himself and she just hadn't heard, which rather bothered her, because she hated being rude. One of her pet peeves was rude people, and then, possibly, there she'd gone being rude and blowing him off. She found herself again playing with her tongue ring, but didn't stop even when she was aware of it.</sup>

[Edward Rackley]

Edward gripped his coffee cup tightly. Was she talking to him? What had she even asked? He'd been zoned out once again. He felt Rosalie's stare grow impatient.
"Edward. His name is Edward." She smiled triumphantly as if she were expecting a medal for knowing her brother's name.
"Thanks Rosalie." Edward muttered. He felt unbearably ridiculous. He ruffled a hand through his hair nervously. This situation was almost intolerable for him. Why was he so unsociable?

He couldn't just sit there and be rude could he? Of course not. Maybe this new city was the beginning of a new bravery for Edward. A new life and a new outlook. He gathered up his confidence.
"And your...your name?" He stumbled over his words. At least it was a start. He peered at Rosalie's stunned expression out of the corner of his eye. Even she didn't expect his boost of confidence. And well, neither did Edward.

[Mercedes James]

i've only got myself to answer to

<sup>She smiled and nodded, confidense returning. Oh, so she hadn't missed anything. "Mercedes" she said quickly, to help recover the rather akward silence. "Mercedes James" She nodded a bit, offering an open smile.

She was quite the person. Sometimes annoying, but most of the time just rather amusing. Unless you were an easily irritable sort of person.

The girl glanced out the window. It was a surprisingly nice day for all it was Seattle, where it usually rained non stop. "You guys want to go for a walk?" she asked brightly, slipping off the stool and returning it to it's original table, sipping rather absently at the double shot hazlenut latte. She'd probably be bouncing off the walls before long, but she supposed that was alright. Better than being drunk or hung over or something, wasn't it?

She glanced up expectantly at Edward and Rosalie, now quite a bit shorter than they were. She finished off the last of the latte and took a couple steps over to dump it in the trash can, giving the couple another rather expectant look...</sup>

[Edward Rackley]

Edward stood and eyed Rosalie with a questioning face. She nodded and stood up. Edward followed her example, wiped the ring of water left from his drink of the table, and stood. He now looked down at Mercedes. She had seemed taller. He guessed it was her personality. He watched as she threw her cup in the trash and patiently awaited the twins' response.
"Sure." Edward seized the chance to the social. Rosalie nudged Edward with her elbow.
"You're talkative today." Rosalie giggled and joined Mercedes ahead. Edward threw his cup away and stepped into the warm May air.

"Is it usually this sunny?" Edward could hear Rosalie questioning Mercedes. He hoped she wouldn't become too annoying. He knew how much she wanted a friend. He decided he would eavesdrop and come to her rescue if need be. He sighed and kept a few feet behind his sister and Mercedes. Judging by their smiles, Mercedes wasn't too bothered. Rosalie could be a handful.

[Mercedes James]

i've only got myself to answer to

<sup>She smiled as she stepped outside into the warm weather, shaking her head in response to Rosalie's question. "It rains a lot" she said with a slight nod. "Most of the time it's at least cloudy. Sunny days like this are pretty rare. Some people don't like it here. The rain drives them nuts." She shrugged a bit. "But I like it" she smiled and nodded.

Her mind wandered as her feet carried her at random, sort of leading the way. She pointed out random little sideshops and little things that she liked or found interesting. She kind of assumed these guys hadn't been in Seattle long. Then, she knew it wasn't very good to assume. She was bad about that. But she did it anyway. She really didn't care.

She was a rather careless person. She didn't care what people thought. She didn't care what people said. She took the opportunities she was given. She was who she was and that was that. Everyone else could just fuck off.

And Rosalie was most definitely not over powering. Not for Sadie anyway. She was a bit like Rosalie herself. Outgoing and sometimes annoying but for the most part fairly likeable...Most of the time.</sup>

[Edward Rackley]

Edward watched, facinated, as Mercedes pointed out shops and sights to see as they walked along the busy sidewalk. He was actually enjoying this. A little adventure for him. Edward didn't get out much. He watched people scurry back and forth through the bustling crowds. So many people lived here. Edward found this odd. Why would so many people want to live in one of the rainiest places in America? Didn't people prefer sun? Edward looked up at the sky. He remembered his mother telling him not to look directly at the sun. He squinted and in the light. Who cares if he went blind? The sun was to beautiful to be ignored.

His eyes wandered around the streets, capturing the scene. A little girl trotting around with a balloon. A business man nervously glancing at his watch. A couple embracing. Edward wondered if their "love" was real. He doubted it.

The girls came to a stop and plopped down on a bench. They scooted over to make room for Edward. The spot meant for him was next to Mercedes. He hesitated for a moment.
"Sit Edward." Rosalie reassured him. He looked cautiously at the bench and then sat. He made sure that he wasn't to close to Mercedes and folded his hands in his lap. He sighed. Time to be brave again already?
"Is it always this crowded?" He asked.

[Mercedes James]

i've only got myself to answer to

[/georgia]

<sup>Mercedes was a rather enthusiastic tour guide. She seemed to know where nearly everything was, or what nearly everything was. She'd obviously either been in Seattle for a really long time, or she'd spent a lot of time wandering and just learning the streets.

When they sat on the bench, Mercedes flopped easily down. SHe was obviously comfortable in basically any setting. She was at ease here. Nothing seemed to stress her out. Sometimes you may have wondered if she ever worried about anything. She did, but not f requently. Plus, this was her place. It was easy for her to be here.

She glanced at Edward, giving him her attention as he asked his question. Ummm she responded, giving a slight shrug. It kind of depends on the time of day, ya know? Or the time of week She laughed. Like, midmorning, when all the business people are at work, it's a lot quieter. On weekends, especially after dark, that's when all the night owls come out to play. It's even more crowded then. She was obviously referring to the people who came out and partied hard all night, and the smirk on her face read clearly that she was one of them. Not so much because there's more people. More because the people that are/i] here take up a lot of room She grinned. Was it pretty busy in London? she asked curiously, glancing from Edward to Rosalie, not quite sure who would answer her question...</sup>

[Edward Rackley]

Edward nodded to himself as Mercedes explained life in Seattle. She seemed to know everything about this place that was so strange and new to Edward. He assumed she had lived here for a while.
"England was beautiful." Edward answered her question. Edward could picture the rolling hills and the horses grazing through the golden fields. The english sun shining down, causing his pale skin to glow golden. Those days laying back and watching the clouds with Rosalie. He missed it terribly. He came out of his trance to find Rosalie babbling on about England and the city.

"And the lights are beautiful!" Rosalie exclaimed, "Weren't they Edward?" Edward shrugged. "I prefer the countryside. Where the stars shine brightest." He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes."Brilliant, it was." Edward dreamed of his home and soon, his mother popped into his head. Her face, her smile, the way she almost glowed. His eyes whipped open. "Right Edward?", Rosalie looked at him, expectant. "Oh, er...yes. Right.", Edward stuttered.

[Mercedes James]

i've only got myself to answer to

<sup>The girl smile, a little dreamily. I'd love to go to England someday. It sounds like the coolest place she laughed. I suppose it doesn't seem all that foreign and amazing to you, but it looks totally cool to me she said, shaking her head a bit.

She glanced up at the sky, which was fast darkening. Weeee...Are going to be stuck in the rain if we don't get a move on she said, and just like that, her relaxed moment was gone and she was again chugging on like a freight train, bright and bubbly as always. It seemed the girl never stopped. You guys care to come over to my place or something? she asked curiously, gathering her purse and tucking it safely away under her arm.

She glanced up at the sky again, frowning a bit. The clouds were moving fast. It was probably bound to be a pretty big storm. She loved the storms though. She found the torrents of rain intriguing. Mercedes was the type of person to go runnin gout in the pouring rain just to dance, not at all minding the fact that she was being soaked through to the bone.</sup>

[Edward Rackley]

Edward looked above him at the darkened sky. Mercedes was right about the storm. He felt a small drop of water splash against his forehead. "I guess we could stop by for a while.", Edward agreed. He saw Rosalie shake with excitement. At least Rosalie was happy. He was doing this for her. Going way beyond his comfort zone just for his beloved sister.

He rose to follow Mercedes and Rosalie, once again a few feet behind them. His shoes dragged on the pale sidewalk. He would need new shoes soon. New everything. Edward longed for a new life. To just start over. To forget his former self and move on. He glanced at Rosalie's grinning face. She was happy. Thats all that mattered. She came first.







[[ooc: im at a loss for words here. i need a bigger plot...hmmmm]]

[Mercedes James]

^{((OOC: I'll start a thread in the apartments board. And yeah, would you like to get something going with them? I'd be more than happy. =D))}