Twilight

The Great Novel
Twilight
By
Stephenie Meyer

1. First Sight
Mymotherdrove meto theairportwith the windows rolleddown. Itwas seventy-five
degrees in Phoenix, theskya perfect,cloudless blue. I was wearing myfavoriteshirt—
sleeveless, whiteeyeletlace; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture.Mycarry-on itemwas
aparka.
In theOlympicPeninsula of northwest WashingtonState,a smalltown namedForks
existsunder a near-constantcover of clouds. It rains on thisinconsequentialtown more
thananyotherplacein theUnited States of America. Itwas fromthis town and its
gloomy ,omnipresent shade that mymotherescaped withmewhen I was onlya few
monthsold. It was in thistown that I'd beencompelled tospenda montheverysummer
until I was fourteen. That was theyear I finallyputmyfoot down; thesepast three
summers,mydad, Charlie, vacationedwith mein Californiafor two weeks instead.
Itwas toForks thatI now exiledmyself— anactionthatI took with great horror .I
detested Forks.
I lovedPhoenix. I lovedthe sun and theblistering heat.I lovedthe vigorous, sprawling
city .
"Bella," mymomsaidto me— the lastof a thousand times — beforeI got on the
plane. "Y ou don'thave todo this."
Mymomlooks likeme, except withshorthair ....