Twilight

I wish I could remember the exact date I started to read Twilight, in fact I am a tad bit shameful that I cant. I know it was probably early August 2009. It must have been right after Comic Con here in San Diego, otherwise I would have been downtown faster than you can say twi-hard. (I can't believe RPattz and KStew were so close, yet so far away.)

My younger Sister Sarah had mentioned, albeit very briefly, that she was reading the series. She's not one to offer a lot of information, unless you ask..and even then, it's tough. I remember being surprised that she was reading it, because like me, she's not huge into fantasy/fiction/vampires etc...Someone had actually given her the book as a gift...she didn't end up reading it till much later, and only after she'd seen the movie in flight.

This part I can remember: I drove over to my parents house to lay out on their back deck with my Sister and Mom. I was warned ahead of time by Sar that she was super engrossed in one of the books (how many were their? i had no clue at the time). She certainly wasn't kidding, I could barely talk to her, except for a moment when she got this devious look in her eyes and convinced me to open the first book and read at least a chapter.

"Here read it, take it home, I have all of them." She said nonchalantly.

"Okaaaay.....What if I can't create the characters looks in my head? What if I can only picture the actors that are on the cover of the book?" I asked apprehensively.

Leave it to me to be worried about something as minuscule as that...Kristen Stewart had bugged me, and I had no clue why anyone found Robert Pattinson attractive. Wow, it almost hurts me now to type that. How could I not have loved KStew...not found RPattz delicious? (I know, I know, they really aren't Edward and Bella...I get it...kind of.)

With the same wild look , she said that it would be fine, it wouldn't mess with the enjoyment of the book. So I opened it. It was the copy that had Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz on the front. I couldn't help but think it would interfere with what my mind wanted to create. Little did I know....

I read a couple chapters, and though it was easy reading, I wasn't thoroughly impressed. I put it down and went home without it. Keep in mind that I am a forgetful person, so I don't blame my going home without it completely upon the fact that it didn't grab my attention. It just didn't grab it tight enough. Maybe Sar was disappointed somewhere inside, but I'd never have known it.

The next time I was face to face with the book was when (i think) Sarah came over and brought it with her. It was like a little book haunting me...screaming at me to read it. It sat on the coffee table staring me in the face like left over food....you feel bad about wasting it, so you eat it...even when you're full. That night I curled up on the couch and opened it back up again. I re-read the first couple chapters and continued on. About 4-5 chapters in, I was a woman certifiably obsessed. I kept turning the pages like a glutton raids the fridge in the middle of the night. I had to have more, I craved more. It was not enough to just STOP. I hated to put it down, but it was around 2am and I worked early the next morning. You better believe the book came with me to work. I was finding any excuse to go on a break just so I could get a quick read in here and there. Even if I could just swallow 3 paragraphs...it helped subdue the intense craving, at least for a tiny bit while I returned to what I was supposed to be doing...working.

Two days later, I was almost done with Twilight and so fearful of not having New Moon, that I had to go buy it ASAP. I not only purchased New Moon, but my own copy of Twilight as well. I needed the feeling of ownership. Mine, Mine Mine! Prior to my trip to Target, Sar texted me to see if I'd finished, when I said yes, she squealed that I must come over and watch the movie with her. So I did. We replayed the scene of the Cullen "kids" walking into the cafeteria about 6 times. Sarah had seen the movie before she read the books, and knew I'd love it. She was right. Though "love" did not seem to describe the emotions I felt. Robert Pattinson was without a doubt Edward Cullen, and Kristen Stewart was absolutely Bella Swan. Sure I couldn't help but visualize the young actors as I read...but hey, I didn't know any different and they seemed to fit perfectly.

I drove like a Cullen to get home so I could open New Moon. Sarah had warned me that Edward might disappear for a while, so I was mildly prepared. I was also assured he'd return. I suppose she was afraid I might give up reading right then and there when he vanished. I have a bit of ADD when it comes to books that don't go the way I want them to. I thank her now for the warning. Knowing he'd return, gave me the motivation to keep reading.

From New Moon, I moved onto Eclipse, Breaking Dawn and of course at the advice of Sar, Midnight Sun. That was a toughy...trying to read it on my lap top, while laying on the couch. I managed to finish them within about 2 weeks. During the course of reading, Edward and Bella became real, tangible. I thought about them at all times of the day, even waking up in the middle of the night to find myself wondering what they were doing...what was coming next in the book. How ridiculous! I had never had this type of passion/obsession before. My boyfriend thought it was kind of funny. He'd never seen me like this, and I'm sure I wasn't the most pleasant person to be around...my nose stuck in a book almost 24/7. I proceeded to watch Twilight about 2-3 more times until I just broke down and bought the DVD...not like I needed persuading.

Curling up on the couch to watch Twilight became a guilty pleasure. I'd turn off all the lights and immerse myself in the watercolor-esque movie. At that point I had developed quite a Robsession. I was googling Robert Pattinson as well as the other actors...trying to soak up as much information about them as possible. As if they really were the characters they portrayed. Was I crazy? Quite possibly. I started finding all sorts of websites regarding the Twilight phenomenon. I also realized through talking with friends/coworkers/random strangers in line at the book store, that I wasn't the only one. It's like this guilty pleasure amongst women ages 25 and beyond. They don't really talk about it, but you know they're doing it. Teenagers are a bit more inclined to be guilt-free. My Sister and I started sharing in our obsession together. She came out of the closet a bit more with her obsession when I was around. It was fun to share a common bond with her.

Before I knew it, promotions were being made for New Moon. I couldn't believe I had to wait 3 mos. Not bad compared to people from all over the world that had to wait a year! To help ease the time I made a New Moon countdown calendar..and planned to mark the days off as they passed. Nov 20th seemed light years away in early Sept. I even half jokingly said to Sar that we should go up to LA for the Premiere. I knew nothing about how to get near the red carpet; how to witness such a monumental event. I did know that it was only a 2 hour drive, and that I have mad researching skills. So...I put them to work. -J