10 November 08 - Twilight, Breakind Dawn and so on

Have missed a few days of posting but they're all in the works ie. half written and dates will be populated later on. In the meantime, am fresh from being 'auntie' with the mostest as usual. The 12 year old and the 16 year old adore me because I'm not family, they see me once every few months and I don't live in their usual environment. For those reasons they think I'm impossibly beautiful if not glamorous and incredibly intelligent. This leads to the odd cringing moment when flattery is being heaped on me at the expense of their mother, my good friend who's 6 months younger than me and pretty hot herself but not close because... she's their mother.

I, of course, bask in the compliments but avoid doing or saying much to make me more interesting but for the 12 year old especially I'm some sort of super hero. And, well, I am. Check this out. We're in the car to the restaurant and she tells me she's been reading this amazing series of books which are clearly more rewarding than Harry Potter ever was and where the protagonist, Bella, has fallen in love with a vampyre, Edward. I say a few things about the books and her eyes widen to impossible size and she screams excited 'Have you read them!!!???'. I confess that I haven't but have read an interview with Stephanie Meyer, the writer and retained enough about the trilogy. Am a hero! She wants to lend them to me and I have to nicely decline saying that I will never find the time to read 500 then 600, then 700 pages but how about I go over the next day and she reads me some excerpts. Agreed.

She tells me she's had a deep depression recently (she's TWELVE) brought on by the novels and the realisation that her life will never be as interesting as Bella's adventures. I point out that Bella meets her vampyre (they marry, she's pregnant but will it be the son of Edward or of a worse evil?? such classic drama, Rosemary's baby and so on) in smalltown USville and so there's hope. She says no... My heart leaps, I knew this child was one I liked, she always had more spirit than her 16 year old sister who's very beautiful and 1 year into a relationship with a regular local boy, but not as bright. The 12 year old will escape the confines of her priviledge but limited (geographically at least) life.

The next day I make her tell me in English the plot of the novels so far and with a little struggle, she's game. I feed her the verbs and the words she doesn't know and she's much better at this second language (she's also doing French) than I could ever expect. Better still, she's written her own short novel, twenty chapters which mum can't see but I will be sent, about a girl who falls in love with ... a star.

Sixteen year old joins us and says she nearly split up from boyfriend because her life will never be as interesting as Bella! But that she's going to see the movie of Twilight out soon with him and hopes he'll understand where she's coming from. I have no heart to tell her that he probably won't, because boys, I don't think, don't feel those early passions as much as they're portrayed to do in books and movies.

We go to the computer and spend twenty minutes watching all the trailers for Twilight. My oh my! I get back to Lisa age 12 or 13 as well. The actor/Edward is stunningly perfect for his part. I'd become an instant follower if I was back to...then. Think I felt the same about Alain Delon, but can't be sure. I tell the girls I'll go see the movie too. The way they describe the kisses in the book ... ahhh there's so much longing to try (12 year old, sister is well versed in the pleasure derived).

Twelve year old then tells me about another book with 'host' in the title. I ask 'is it about people who are possessed by another spirit/entity?' Eyes wide again 'How do YOU know??'. I reply I made a guess given the title. She tells me I'm a genius. Gosh, I could get used to this. I never want to leave. And I get a soft toy pink piglet to take with me. She may be desperate to kiss a boy but she is only twelve and the collection of soft toys is still well populated on the shelves of her bedroom. Big sis now has her own grown up room but twelve year old has a double bed and they still sleep together 'to talk' at night. Sweet.

Sixteen year old tells me she wants to go to Los Angeles/NY to study to be an actress eventually but she has problems with her English lessons, she gets blocked by anxiety when speaking and gets more and more nervous and fluffs it despite knowing it. I recommend she pretends to be an actress already playing a student who has to give oral exams. Concentrating on playing the part, may take her mind off the actual answers, which, not mediated, will just spill out right. She also thinks I'm genius.

Not bad work for an afternoon! Especially if you consider I recommended she does study law first before acting school as that requires a lot of memorising too that will be good later for scripts. Mum would thank me. I'm a responsible non-auntie!