Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bella's Point of View

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Had I been more normal, I was sure that there would be a hard lump in my throat and hot tears trying to fall from my eyes. As it was, I had my jaw clenched tightly as I fought to keep myself under control, my body begging for me to give into the hunger it felt. I refused, turning to board the plane that would take me to Seattle, and my father. I knew my mother, Renée, didn't understand why I felt the need to leave. Even after I sat down in my seat, I could still taste her confusion and hurt on the back of my tongue. It was a rather distasteful flavor, a mixture of lemon and black licorice, and should have been easily overshadowed by the flavors of everyone else around me. Still, being my mother, I was more in tuned to her than them, and so her emotions were the prominent ones that danced on my tongue.

There was a part of me, a small, drowned part of me, that wanted to go back. That part wanted to tearfully explain why my staying would end up only hurting her – everyone around us – in the long run. I wanted to reveal the only secret I'd truly wanted to keep from her, wanted to tell her why I'd been so withdrawn for the past year, why I'd become even more of a recluse after the accident. I wanted to tell her the real reason why I wanted to leave.

But, there was also another part, stronger than the drowned one, harder to control, that wanted to go back for an entirely different reason. This was the part of me that was the reason for my leaving. This was the part, when I chose to feel, that scared me the most.

This want was the part of me that wanted to go back, just to feel the energy and emotions running like electric charges through her veins.

This was the part of me that begged me to let my instincts take control and pull the emotion right out of her. It was the part of me that wanted to make her feel so intensely that her body became exhausted by the effort. It was the part of me that wanted to take the energy that her emotions would inspire and her body required, to make it my own until her heart didn't have the strength to beat, her lungs couldn't find the energy to expand, and her brain lost its ability to send signals to her vital organs, which would eventually cause everything to just shut down.

It would kill her, of course, but, the part that wanted this, the part that I did everything to control, didn't care about that. That part of me – a predator who only cared about itself – just wanted to be sated. That part of me, which had become stronger the longer I denied it, didn't care who it killed. It didn't care if it killed the woman sitting in front of me, whose sadness coated my tongue like rich dark chocolate. Nor did it care if I killed the teenager across the isle from me, whose fear was the unappealing taste of copper. Any of them would do, just so long as it's hunger was sated.

This predator was the reason why I had to get out of Phoenix. There were so many people – so much fundamental energy fueling everyone, from the smallest child to the oldest adult. It thrummed in every single cell of every living person. So many rampant emotions, coating my tongue with flavor after flavor all day long, teasing it with the tiny tastes of the feast I'd forbidden myself to eat.

It was a constant temptation, a never ending war of hunger versus morals. And it was a tiring war as well. Not only were my own emotions run raw – my humanity seeming to slip away, leaving an apathetic person in it's place – but my resistance were beginning to wear down. Phoenix, being a city, meant that people could easily go missing without a whole lot of trouble, something that weighed on my mind. Not only did I not know how long it would be before I snapped and killed someone, but it wasn't only my mother in danger. Phil – her husband; someone in my class at school, or even the random stranger on the street could easily be a victim of mine. It was the idea of taking one of the lives of those who no one cared about, who were so tempting in that I could easily dispose of them, and no one would care about it.

That was why I had to get out. I couldn't stand the idea of killing someone I knew or a stranger, but it was the idea of killing one who no one cared about that haunted me the most. I couldn't risk the predator winning, couldn't risk hurting anyone. I needed to get away before I did hurt someone...again.

Without my permission, a face that I had been trying to forget, one that had been haunting me for almost a year, appeared in my mind. A harried looking face, painfully thin, with a pinched mouth; small, hectic brown eyes; short, rumpled, gray-streaked brown hair. He looked harmless, but his face was agonizing to look at. It was agonizing because I'd made sure that those brown eyes would never show life again.

The agony this face caused me broke through my indifference, causing me to ground my teeth together and my hands to clench into fists. The tears feel of tears that had been absent when I left my mother tried to make an appearance, and I squeezed my eyes shut to keep from crying. While I had a year to get used to my crime, there were still times when his face made me want to weep, particularly when it came when I didn't want to remember it.

I'm sorry, I thought, wishing that he could hear. It was an accident. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know how to stop myself. These apologetic pleas meant nothing, though. Just as I had caused the life to disappear from him and allow his eyes to never see again, his ears would hear nothing I said.

I clenched my fists tighter, anger running through me. She'd promised that the dead faces went away after a while. She'd sworn that, given time, the memories wouldn't hurt anymore. But, then, why was I holding onto her promises? She was a liar and a murderer. I knew that for a fact. I was conveniently ignoring that the only reason why what she had said hadn't happened was because I had been refusing to let it happen, still thinking about it and keeping it fresh while refusing to forgive myself for it.

I felt desperate to keep from forgiving myself for killing him, to keep myself from letting what she'd said actually become true. Instead, I forced myself to believe that the real reason why the memories had just faded for her was because she was used to killing – something that wasn't entirely untrue, after all. She was cold, and didn't seem to care about whose family she tore apart at all.

I didn't deserve to forget about him and be forgiven. This torturous regret was my penance, a penance I would endure forever.

The memory of the man I'd killed was just one cog of why I couldn't stay in Phoenix any longer, though. Not only was my resistance wearing down, but I could no longer stand to be in Phoenix, because everything seemed to a reminder of what I'd done. And, despite my resolution to to pay a penance for what I'd done to him, I could stand being reminded of him.

However, there was a less moral and more person reason for leaving Phoenix as well. I'd been sixteen when I'd become...what I was – it was still hard to even think the word – and, though no one seemed to notice that I had neither grown nor changed in any way since the accident, I knew that I wouldn't be able to avoid detection for much longer.

So, my need to move to Forks were because of several reasons. Firstly, the town had a much smaller population than Phoenix did. Not only did that mean that there were be less of a struggle for me with the lack of compressing emotions that Phoenix had, but I no doubt would find it harder to feed off of a stranger, since I was sure that, in a town like it, people knew pretty much everything about everyone.

And, well, I hadn't seen my dad, Charlie, since the year before the accident, having chosen not to see him this summer. I might have a little time before he noticed that something was off about me – a little time before I had to disappear. And, with there being a lot of conveniently located woods to get 'lost' in, woods that would be easy to take a walk in one day and never come back, the rain that was pretty much a permanent fixture around Forks washing my scent away, and a lot of animals that had the ability to eat a human girl, Forks would be a good place for me to disappear from. And I owned my father time to at least get to know me more than he had in the past, since I usually only saw him two weeks during summer.

He deserved to have some time with me before I disappeared – and I even knew exactly when I would be doing it, too. I would be staying here for the rest of my junior and senior years, and well into what should be my freshman year in a college, though I didn't plan on doing that. I'd be giving my father roughly two years to get to know me, two years to have more memories of me. Then, after those two years, during spring, when the bears come out of hibernation...

It would appear like a stupid mistake, a mistake a city girl would make. They'd find a mutilated backpack of mine, the remains of a packet of beef jerky nearby, possibly splashes of my blood and shreds of my clothes, if I really wanted to go all out. With that evidence, it would be easy to come to the conclusions I'd want them to. And the searches for what would remain of my body would stop soon afterward. I was sure of it.

I knew that this would hurt Charlie and Renée, but it was necessary. More than necessary, in fact. It would be for the better. I wouldn't – couldn't – let them know what I was. I would leave them with happy memories of me; I wouldn't leave them with memories of them knowing that I was a killer, a monster.

After I arrived in Seattle, I had to take a much smaller plane to Port Angeles, which was as much of a curse as it was a blessing. There were fewer humans, but the closer proximity had me tense the entire time. I practically fled the confines of the aircraft when it landed, running straight into Charlie on accident in my hurry, for he had been standing at the arrival gate.

"Oof," he huffed, his breath knocked out of him due to my speed. He staggered a step back, but remained on his feet. I stood like a brick wall, the impact feeling like nothing to me.

"You all right, Bells?" he asked, looking at me critically. I knew what he would see – that I had changed. I was definitely more beautiful than I'd been as a human, and it showed, calling attention to me. And, while I hadn't fed on a single person since my first one, the beauty still lingered, though it was much more subdued than it would be otherwise. However, it was also clear that there was something else wrong with me. One could easily see that, past the beauty, I appeared to be a dull, lifeless person. The vibrancy of life seemed to have been drained from me. So I knew what Charlie was thinking, particularly as caramel, lemon, and honey coated my tongue.

"I'm fine," I said, giving him a smile. His concern – the caramel flavor on my tongue – disappeared with his other emotions, strawberry-tasting happiness, marshmallow excitement, crème brûlée love, and the general buzzing of life of my father. They all emanated from him, the tastes making me yearn for more, an ever-present burning in my mouth escalating until it felt like I'd tried to swallow a hot ember.

I was glad that he turned away at the moment, missing the hungry look I was sure had crossed my face. My eagerness to get off the plane had distracted me from my control. His emotions and energy caught me off guard, making resistance ten times harder. Now, as I swallowed with my muscles tensing, I tried my hardest not to kill my father. If I hadn't gotten used to denying myself, I was sure that the struggle would be harder, though it was still intense. The two parts of myself – or three, if you wanted to be technical – were waring with each other, the first – the part that hated hurting my mother – only able to match the predator because of main whole of myself siding with it. I was able to gain the upper hand over my hunger, the fight becoming easier that, by the time Charlie turned back to me, I was under control.

"So, how have you been, Bells?" he asked, his curiosity – the honey flavor from last time – filling my mouth. "It's been so long since I last saw you."

How had I been? I'd been in near-constant pain because of the hunger I refused to acknowledge. I'd been either apathetic or filled with self-loathing most of the time because said hunger even existed in the first place. I'd been angry at myself a few times for endangering everyone I came into contact with. I'd been torn apart by guilt, shame, horror, and pain because I'd unwittingly killed an innocent person.

I was, basically, no longer the Bella he'd known before the accident.

"I've been fine," I answered, sounding so truthful. The near constant stream of lies I had begun to tell were becoming easier to tell every time I spoke. At least, that's how it seemed to be for me.

"Good, good," Charlie said. However, his curiosity, the honey flavor of his emotions, changed ever so slightly, becoming more salty than sweet as he grew nervous. Surprise colored me as I realized that he hadn't bought what I said.

"Are...are you sure, Bells?" he asked. "Renée's been saying that you've been having trouble ever since the accident and...well, you know."

I kept from frowning. I knew exactly what he'd been about to say. 'Ever since the accident and the surgeon assigned to your case dropped dead right over you for no apparent reason.' That was what everyone thought had happened to him, but it was far from true. There most certainly had been a reason for his death. Me.

Of course, my parents – and everyone else – didn't know that. The traumatic story was that I, the unconscious victim of a car crash, had woken up to find a dead doctor sprawled across me. More than that – though my parents and everyone outside of the police and the nurse who'd come running into the room at my screams – was the fact that the police believed that the doctor had been about to take advantage of my unconscious state, due to the way he'd been found sprawled on me.

No one else knew the truth, save for me and one other. Only she knew what had happened, and it was because of her that it had needed to happen to begin with.

I felt a moments irritation at Renée for having told Charlie that I was bothered. While it was true that the surgeon's death bothered me because I'd caused it, it was none of her business to spread it around. Just because I kept secrets from her didn't mean that she had a right to assume I was different, even if I was. A flash of hate went through me due to her gossipy ways, shame taking over when I realized that I'd just felt the for my mother. I took a deep breath, making sure that nothing of what I was feeling was evident to Charlie.

"I'm fine," I repeated, not looking my dad in the eye. While I wanted to see that he believed me, wanted to make sure that he believed me, I knew that looking directly into his eyes would be a disastrous course of action.

Thankfully, Charlie believed me this time. His salty-honey curiosity melted away, mint – a flavor I had yet to actually experience – along with strawberries and crème brûlée taking it's place. We kept to ourselves as we exited the airport, loading my bags into the trunk of Charlie's police cruiser. My father was the Forks chief of police, a job he'd held since I was three.

The drive to Charlie's small, two story house was equally silent, but, when we pulled into the driveway, I was surprised enough by the sight of an ancient, faded red Chevy truck parked there that I spoke up.

"Is someone here?" I asked, wondering if Charlie was expecting visitors. If he was, he hadn't warned me.

"No," Charlie muttered gruffly. I frowned slightly as his emotions shifted, blueberries coating my tongue – a flavor I disliked immensely, both as a regular deal, and for what it represented. I wondered why Charlie was feeling embarrassed. And there was some saltiness to it – he was nervous. I soon understood his emotions when he continued, though. "That's your homecoming gift."

"Really?" I gasped, looking at the old truck with new, critical eyes. It was huge, solid, and, for some unknown reason, I absolutely loved it. Still, I was apprehensive about accepting the gift.

"Dad, you shouldn't have!" I said. "I brought money..."

"I wanted to," Charlie countered. "Besides," he added, a grin making it's way onto his face as the amused taste of pineapple filled my mouth, "I didn't think that you'd want to driven around in the cruiser while you were looking for a car."

I had to laugh at that, sounding happier than I have in months. While Charlie may not have seen me in a while, it seemed that he still knew me well enough to know that I hated being driven around in the cruiser.

"That you, Dad," I said warmly as I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "I love it."

Charlie blushed, the faint taste of blueberries raising up again. However, thankfully, it was overpowered by the strawberries that represented his happiness.

"You're welcome, Bells," he said, climbing out of the car. I followed his actions, grabbing one of the bags from the trunk and following him into the house. It was just as I remembered, right down to the yellow cabinets that I could just see from the kitchen. A frown found itself to my face; I had never really liked the color, just tolerating it because of the fact that I wasn't at Charlie's house that often. However, now, with my eyesight being much better – if not still weaker in several ways – than it was as a human, I knew that I wouldn't be able to live with it like that, nor would I really be able to live with the orange-brown walls of the house. I wondered when he'd had those done, for they weren't like that the last time I was here.

Luckily for me, as I walked into the room that had been mine since I was born, I was glad to discover that everything was left unchanged. The walls were still the light blue I knew from my childhood, with the yellowing white curtains around the windows and a rocking chair in the corner. The only new things really were the adult-size bed, desk, ancient computer, and bigger dresser. The room was kind of cramp, in all honesty, and I knew that I would need to do some rearranging to make everything fit a bit better. Still, it wasn't too small.

I sat down on my new bed, listening to Charlie bumbling a bit as he asked if I liked the color purple. I nodded, smiling at him before he left. Charlie didn't hover, something that I was thankful for. It gave me more time to acclimate myself to my new surroundings, and, already, I could tell that it would be easier here than in Phoenix.

The closest neighbors Charlie had were just under a mile away. I could only taste emotions close around me – about twelve feet – so there was no way for me to taste theirs. In fact, except for Charlie, there was no temptation. The relief was amazing, particularly as this was the first hint of relief I'd have in almost a year. My mouth had been burning painfully due to the emotions that ran high in Phoenix. Having less people here definitely helped.

I knew that it would return, though. There was no way it wouldn't. I would eventually have to leave the seclusion of Charlie's house, and go to school. Forks High, small-town school with around three hundred people, from ninth grade to twelfth. This would prove to be a mixed blessing. With fewer people, it would be less of a challenge to keep form killing them. However, with such a small student body, I wouldn't be able to fade into the background like I had in Phoenix. As the new girl, I was bound to be interesting to these simple-minded folk. A shiny new toy, as it is.

People were bound to notice me, talk to me, try to be my friend. Anything I said would be magnified and talked about. Any mistake would only be done more so, and, if the mistake was too glaring, everyone would know that there was something wrong with me. I would have to disappear that much sooner, which would still not completely solve the problem, for I'd leave rumors behind me, rumors that would take a long while to calm down.

I would have to be careful – then again, I always had to be careful lately. It shouldn't be too hard for me to do so.

Sighing, I got up, beginning to put my things away while mentally calculating just where I should put everything in the room. I sighed with disgust at the ancient computer – a stipulation from my mother in order for her to let me come here, as if she could actually stop me from doing so anyway. I had been careful not to laugh when she made that stipulation, particularly as Charlie was actually more suited to taking care of me that she was. I wasn't planning on keeping my promise the way that she expected. I'd e-mail her and answer hers, but I wouldn't be hanging on the machine to do so, nor would I divulge everything to her that she probably would want me to do. Eventually, she'd except it.

Charlie called up asking me what I'd like on the pizza that he was ordering as I was putting my scant amount of clothes away. Even though my mother and I'd pooled our money together to buy more Forks worthy clothes, I would need more. After answering him back, I finished putting my clothes away, heading downstairs just as Charlie opened the door to pay for the pizza, my mind already wrestling with the problem that food presented.

For the first few months after I'd changed, I hadn't needed to eat at all, at least, not regular food. It just wasn't necessary – my body hadn't craved it at all, doing nothing that would suggest needing it. I'd faked eating, of course – I could only say 'I'm not hungry' so many times before my mother got suspicious – but, for the first four months, I hadn't needed it. Then, one day, as I was sitting in my Algebra II class, I'd started experiencing the gnawing sensation in my stomach that had been absent, a gnawing that I recognized as it wanting food, one that was different from the need for energy. My stomach rumbled; I was starving. I'd eaten a huge lunch that day, the then foreign sensation of being hungry passing and staying gone for another three and a half months. Then, I'd gotten hungry again, and had to eat a huge meal once more before the sensation passed once more.

The intervals between when I got hungry like that, and needed to eat got shorter as the months passed, until, as of now, I needed to eat at least two times a week. This confused me. I'd wondered why it was happening. She hadn't eaten food in over twenty years, and hadn't experienced a hunger for regular food as I did. Was I somehow different that she was? Was I weaker because I was new? Or was I becoming weaker because I refused to feed the way I was supposed to? Did the need for human food be the result of my the fact that my body needed energy, and was willing to get it that way over the normal way?

It didn't change me much, of course. Food still didn't give me energy, just got rid of that hunger. It didn't stop me from wanting the food I should be eating. And I didn't bother thinking about asking her. I didn't have an idea of where she was, and I'd rather die than ask her for anything.

"So, um," Charlie started as I grabbed a slice of pizza. "I, uh, I enrolled you at the school earlier today. They're expecting you tomorrow."

"Okay, cool," I answered, and that was pretty much it for conversation, though there was a new worry in my mind. It appeared that the fact that I would have to leave the house was coming much sooner than I thought it would.

I ate the pizza Charlie presented me, eating two slices before declaring that I was full, and placing the rest into the fridge. Heading upstairs, I decided to take a shower, enjoying the heat on my body as I washed myself with my strawberries and cream scented things. I had to admit, I was kind of glad that I hadn't needed to change my taste in scent on my body products, like I did for a few other things. I'd been afraid that, due to my ability to taste the emotions of everyone around me, I'd have to do it for my personal tastes, particularly since I wasn't sure what strawberries had meant at the time. I was glad to know that my favorite fruit was among happier emotions, being that which actually meant happiness.

And I really needed the positivity around me. So, as I rubbed by shampoo into my hair, I breathed the scent in deeply, thinking positively. I would have a good day at school tomorrow. I would not such the life out of my classmates. Those were the kind of thoughts that I had running through my mind, thinking them so much that, as I finished my shower, I was even able to convince myself that they would be true. I was actually smiling as I slipped into my room afterward.

Of course, my happiness was unable to last long and the reason why became apparent almost immediately.

"Hey, sweetheart," a female voice said, bright and mocking, from the corner of my room. I froze, my good feelings vanishing to be replaced by the sensation that something cold was crawling up my spine. I swallowed, my hands fisting in rage, and turned slowly to glare towards that corner, and, specifically, the woman who was sitting in my old rocking chair.

At first glance, no one would find her threatening. She was African American, with darkest brown eyes that almost seemed black, a small, slightly peaked nose; full, perfectly portioned lips; and generous curves. At first – and even second and third – glance, it was pretty obvious that she was beautiful. However, if you managed to look into her eyes without catching her gaze, you could see the predator in her, a predator that was not like any other.

This predator hunted you down. Instead, it made you want to be hunted, made you want to walk towards it, want to die just so that she would be happy, and you could help feed her. This was what I was trying desperately not to become. I refused to become someone who easily beckoned people to their deaths, who reviled and glorified in it, the way she did.

"You," I whispered flatly, despite the fact that my fury was curling into a ball inside my chest. Charlie was still downstairs, and I didn't want him to discover her there. I didn't want to risk him.

Her eyebrows rose, and a look of mild insult crossed her face. I was slightly glad that I didn't actually get to taste it – I couldn't taste the emotions of those like me for some reason, which could be both a good and bad thing. After all, while I didn't want to taste her emotions, I also didn't like the fact that she could sneak up on me, like now.

"'You'?" she repeated mildly, her dislike of what I preferred calling her evident in her tone. "Is that all I get? You know my name, Bella, why don't you say it?"

"Because I don't like you," I hissed her, glaring at her stonily. She sighed deeply.

"Still mad, are we?" she asked condescendingly. "I thought we'd gotten over this."

My teeth curled over my teeth in a silent snarl. How dare she think such a thing!

"We will never get over this," I hissed. Her mouth hardened – I was getting to her now. Her anger and frustration was evident on her face, after all.

"I can't believe we're having this conversation again," she muttered, turning a glare of her own at me. "I saved your life!"

It took all of my self-control to keep from screaming at her, for her words made me angry; it made me angrier still to know that they were the truth.

"You made me a monster," I accused fiercely. I didn't mind the saving my life so much as the fact that I now needed to kill to truly ever be fulfilled, and the the burning in my mouth to fully dissipate.

"You were dying!" she protested heatedly, though her voice still stayed low. I took a step forward, my fingernails cutting into the skin of my palm as my fist tried to tighten even more than they already were.

"Then you should have let me," I snared. She threw her hands up into the air, giving a disgusted sigh and shaking her head, muttering to herself. I clearly heard as she called me a 'stubborn, pig-headed child'.

"Enough of this!" she finally snapped at me, before I could say anything to her muttered words, for I felt rather insulted by them. "I don't want to go in circles with you about this again. That's not why I came."

"Why did you come?" I asked, forcing myself to relax. If she wasn't going to try to once again persuade me to be like the rest of our kind, I could try to be somewhat civil. If she did start that, though, all bets were off.

She grinned, at ease rather quickly. "I came because, like it or not, you are a -" she started to say. I cut her off rather quickly.

"Don't say it," I said. I hated to hear the word, hated to be reminded what I was. I didn't need the word to be said, I knew very well what I was. I was reminded of it everyday without the word actually being said. She glared exasperatedly at me.

"Fine," she said, stressing the word a bit. "As I was saying, you are what you are, and I made you that way. That makes you my responsibility for at least the year, and, guess what, we still have a few months left until you reach the end of your first year, a few months before your first birthday of sorts." She smirked. "I have to make sure that, when you eventually come to your senses, you don't leave behind a trail of pretty, dead boys and girls. After all, it would spell disaster if you made everyone suspicious of you."

I clenched my jaw. Just thinking about doing what she described was making my stomach heave.

"That won't happen," I grounded out. I refused to be her. She shrugged, that infuriating smirk still in place.

"If you think that you can continue to ignore you instincts and never give into them, that's your prerogative," she said. "Either way, I'll be watching."

She slipped out the window before I could say anything else. It was a few minutes before I could make my fury-rigid body move. Then, I stalked over to the window, closing it before I collapsed face-first onto my bed, groaning at what I'd just been told. She was going to be here, watching me like a freaking stalker. Perfect, I thought sarcastically, growling into my pillow. Like that would help me keep my cool. I really wished that she hadn't come to me and told me that – I would have been perfectly fine not knowing that she was going to be my stalker once more.

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I didn't move once after I got into bed. I didn't sleep – didn't need it anymore since she changed me. I had been planning on looking around my new home, seeing if there was anything in the forests that was interesting, but had changed my mind since I knew that she was here. The only time I had moved since falling into my bed was to get into the position I was now I: on my back, staring at the ceiling. I had heard when Charlie had gone to bed moments afterward, and was thankful that he hadn't tried to check up on me like Renée would have.

After that, it was silent, and I was left with nothing but my thoughts. I still wondered why me. Why had she decided to turn me? She never, not once, gave me the feeling that she cared for people; why would she decide to suddenly 'save me' as she had called it? These thoughts and more turned round and round in my head as I kept still, watching my room begin to lighten lightly as morning came. I heard Charlie getting up and moving around. Everything that had my tongue coated in mint, leading me to realize that this was a routine of his.

I sighed, smiling a bit at knowing that, then looked at the clock, eyes widening as I realize that it was a bit too early for me myself to actually get up. I wondered what he would do if I did. Probably wonder if I got any sleep at all, and end up concerned for me. No, I would either wait until he left, or until my alarm went off. As it was, they pretty much happen simultaneously.

I turned off my alarm, getting out of bed and leaving a Bella-shaped depression in my mattress. I kept my outfit simple – black jeans and a loose purple blouse. Over it, I threw on an oversized hoodie sweater, as I knew it was cold outside. I could feel it, the way one could feel their teeth sinking into their cheek when it's been numbed. It was there, but it didn't really effect me. I didn't really need the sweater, but I didn't want to stand out and call unnecessary attention to myself. I would be in the spotlight enough as it was.

A part of me was glad to know that Charlie had already left as I walked down to the kitchen. I didn't have to worry about him wondering why I wasn't eating, nor did I have to ignore when he looked at me weirdly as I started and competed my morning ritual. It was a kind of stupid ritual, but the day was always harder when I didn't do it.

I pulled out one of the kitchen chairs, sitting down and going completely still. I made my mind go black, and started to breathe in and out, going slowly and deeply until my body was completely relaxed, and my heartbeat had slowed down a bit. I did counts of seven, four, and seven repeatedly, in time with my breaths, until it was second nature, and my mind was just as relaxed as my body.

Having relaxed both my body and mind, I began the second part of the ritual, which was imagining invisible barriers around myself – walls that no one could enter, and, perhaps most importantly, that I could not pass. This accomplished two goals – the predator inside me was somewhat contained, and the humans around me were unable to reach it. It was all in my head of course, but I'd gotten good at convincing myself that the barriers were real, and that they somehow made a difference.

That done, I sighed and opened my eyes. Now that I was so relaxed, I was reluctant to move, but a glance at the clock told me that if I didn't get going soon, I would be late. So, I got to my feet and walked out into the Washington chill to my truck. The truck started easily, if loudly, and didn't seem to have trouble with the drive to the school. As I began to enter the more populated area of town, my mouth began to slowly start to burn as everyone's emotions began to spread across my tongue. Peppery irritation, onion frustration, garlic impatience, minty familiarity; all the usual cheery, morning feelings. Of course, every now and then, I'd get the not as common morning feelings – strawberry happiness, crème brûlée love, vanilla peacefulness. I tried to ignore the bad ones and focus on the good ones as best as I could, despite the fact that they made me hungry.

I could taste the school long before I could see it. Peppy marshmallow excitement, club soda insecurity, sugary attraction, cinnamon desire, black licorice angst. The usual emotions that graced high school. I shuddered as it got stronger. Still, even if the feelings themselves weren't all that different from my school back in Phoenix, at least there were less people to feel them. The quantity, if not the quality, was at least a bit better. I set my mouth with grim determination as I drove into the school parking lot.

As soon as the students gathered in the parking lot saw my truck, their honey curiosity blossomed across my tongue, easily wiping away the taste of the other emotions. I winced as I found a spot to part, turning off the engine as soon as I could. Pulling up my hood – a plus to having to wear an unnecessary hoodie – and walked up to the front office as quickly as I could, ignoring everyone else around me. I could tell by their emotions that they definitely weren't going to be leaving me alone today.

The secretary, who identified herself as Mrs. Cope, gave me a list of my classes and a map of the school. She was nice, if not displaying the same signs of curiosity that the others were. She pointed out the best routes to my classes on the map before handing it to me.

"But if you still get lost, dear," she added as I gathered the papers and prepared to leave, "I'm sure that there will be plenty of people willing to help you out."

"Probably," I agreed, rather glumly, and walked out the door, ignoring Mrs. Cope's lemony confusion from my answer.

The first class I had was English with Mr. Mason. I went straight for a seat in the back of the room and sat down, leaving my hood up. If anyone asked me about it, I had a good excuse already lined up – I was from Arizona and unused to the cold. IN truth, I just really didn't want to deal with people staring. The classroom filled up around me as chattering teenagers took their seats. I kept my head down, and, at first, was ignored. The others assumed that I was just another regular student, until the class began to fill up more and they realized that they were recognizing the faces of those still arriving. Then, they began to stare at me, realization and curiosity overcoming them.

I didn't need to be looking to know they were now looking at me more, able to feel their stares. And I didn't need eye contact to hear what they were whispering, which was loud to my predator's ears.

"Is that -" a boy breathed.

"...Isabella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter," another girl whispered to someone near her.

"She's from Arizona, right?" another boy murmured. A male who had to be close to him gave a small chuckle.

"Why the sudden curiosity, Mike?" they said. "You seem really interested."

"She's new," the first boy – the one the other boy had called Mike – said defensively. "I'm just wondering."

"Right," the other boy said, clearly not believing him.

They were forced to stop talking then, as Mr. Mason entered the room. I was lucky enough that he only mentioned that I was here, just long enough to have a class syllabus passed back to me before he began his lecture on the book being read in class. I looked over the list, ignoring the fact that I could still feel the stares of everyone else. After familiarizing myself with the list – and noticing that there were quite a few books I'd already read on it – I sighed quietly.

If the boy named Mike hadn't presented me with a new problem, I would have been bored out of my mind. But, as it was, I could taste Mike's emotions, sliding like a sugar cube across my tongue. Sugar – attraction. Mike, whoever he was, for I hadn't looked up to catch a glimpse of his face, was attracted to me, even without knowing how I looked, as far as I knew, anyway. Also, now that I was looking for the flavor of that particular emotion, I could detect it from at least several others in the class, including from someone who was sitting close to Mike.

I gritted my teeth as the monster in me crowed. This was not going to be helping anything. It would be rather difficult to protect those boys from myself if they continuously hovered around me, trying to get my attention. And, if they were just this way without having seen me, I knew that their attraction would end up mixed with desire, which had an even better taste to it, so long as the attraction stayed. And those emotions that tasted the best were always the hardest to resist.

It had been easier at my school in Phoenix, with most people wavering between dislike, jealousy, and pure non-attraction desire. The first two had always been able to overshadow the latter, which – as far as I knew – only sprung up after my change. People always thought of me as a freak there in Phoenix, because I appeared so different from them. I wasn't blonde, sporty, and, before the change, I'd been clumsy to the point of being disabled. That had made me a lot of enemies, in fact, particularly when it came to PE, where I'd often caused harm to myself and quite a few others. So, their emotions had always tasted bad – at least, when it came towards me – which made the struggle just a bit easier to deal with. But the sweet, delectable, mouthwatering tastes of Mike's, and the others', emotions would be much harder to resist. I would have to find a way to deter them...

I made it to the end of the class without looking at anyone, my hood staying firmly on my head. However, once the bell rang, it was proven that my 'safety' wouldn't remain, for they immediately came at me. No, that's the wrong terminology. They swarmed around me.

A boy with blond hair and a boy with jet black hair were the first to speak as I stood.

"Hey," the blond one said, his voice bright and cheerful. I recognized his voice as being the unknown Mike's voice, concluding who he was. "I'm Mike." His introduction was unneeded, and I wished to get away from him as what I feared began to happen – being so close allowed him to get a look underneath the hood of my coat, and his emotions began to add a bit of cinnamon to them.

Maybe if I said as little as possible, they might get the message that I wasn't interested.

"Hi," I said in a monolog, my disinterest evident. Everyone's interest shot up several hits, and Mike kept talking.

"You're Isabella, right?" he said. As if he didn't already know.

"Bella," I corrected coldly, shouldering my backpack. I began to push my way through the crowd, ignoring all the other students as they tried to capture my attention. Unfortunately for me, Mike and the black haired boy were apparently dense, because they didn't seem to realize that I wanted nothing to do with them, and followed me, a hint of confusion in their emotions.

"That's a pretty name," the black-haired boy said as they caught up to me at the classroom door. "My name's Eric."

"I really don't care," I muttered, so silently that I knew that they hadn't heard, for there was no hint of hurt in his emotions. I was tempted to look them in the eye, to Draw them in and feed from them, their attraction too close to me. However, that wasn't really an option for me, and, while I knew that subterfuge was a better idea than what I was doing, I didn't want them to get their hopes up.

"What class do you have next?" Mike asked me eagerly. His hope would have been obvious even if I hadn't been able to taste the caramel that always accompanied the emotion.

"None of your business," I told him, disappearing into the girls room before they could follow me. I rubbed at my temple, a headache forming as I realized that the two were waiting for me. I tasted the surprise and slight hurt of Mike's emotions, and heard him as he muttered that he was just trying to be helpful.

After a few moments, I left the room, ignoring the two as I quickly walked to my next class. I had memorized my schedule, so I didn't need to pull it out to find out what was next. The two boys tried to follow me, but lost me in a crowd of girls as I found the classroom door, and entered the room. Once again, I went to a desk in the back of the room, hoping that, this time, I would be ignored.

"Um, hi," came a voice to my right. I looked over, discovering that the person who was talking was a girl. Her emotions tasted friendly – in fact, they were quite calming. While there was a hint of curiosity in them, she was mostly feeling the effects of familiarity. This calmed me, and I found myself more willing to talk to her than Mike and Eric.

"Hi," I said.

"I'm Angela, Angela Weber," she said, introducing herself. "You're Isabella Swan, right?"

"Bella," I told her, my tone definitely warmer than it was when I told Mike and Eric. She nodded, then went back to what she was doing. I couldn't help but immediately liking her, simply for that action. I ignored as the other students came in, immediately making sure that I wouldn't be bothered by anyone else as I was ready to bolt once government was over, darting out before anyone could get to me.

Trigonometry was next, and, this time, the teacher – Mr. Varner – had me pull down my hood, stand in front of the class, and introduce myself. I felt desire in the room triple from the males, while the the jealousy from most of the females turned up, though there were a few who were also attracted to me. I avoided making eye contact, as that was what caused the Draw to happen. That was a weapon of my predator, and I'd yet to meet, much less hear, of a human who could fight it.

The Draw – which was what my kind called it – was used to hunt. It was pretty much a hypnotic thing, befuddling the mind and breaking down any inhibitions someone might have. It made it so that all a person could think about was us – how beautiful we were, how much they wanted to do anything we wanted them, and how we could keep them from stopping us as we killed them. More often than not, they never came to their senses before they died, slipping away still believing that the monster that had killed them was good.

Of course, an experience monster like me could control the Draw, was able to meet a person's eyes without problem unless they wanted to feed. My abilities, however, were still in the novice stage. Just meeting someone's gaze for a second could confuse them. I was learning how to control it, of course, but it was harder than you'd think to do so, and it wasn't worth risking to see if I could do so or not.

After Trig was Spanish, and, after Spanish, was lunch. I was able to shake off those who wanted me to sit with them, finding a table where I could sit mostly alone. Angela – the only one I wasn't cool to – sat with me. I asked her about the two girls who were glaring at us, and she let me know that they were Jessica and Lauren, the so called 'popular girls' of our grade. I snorted at that; it sounded as if they had a high opinion of themselves, mostly due to the fact that their table didn't seem to have that many people around it.

I asked her if she had an idea why they were glaring at me.

"Oh, that's because Jessica was not only hoping to find out everything about you that she could, but because of the fact that, had you sat with them, Mike – her crush – would have sat with you as well. She's mad to have missed the chance, as well as the fact that Mike seemed to want you over her," Angela said. "As for Lauren, well, she's been bitter since it got out that you were coming. She feels that you're trying to supplant her place. It doesn't help that you're nothing like she's been trying to say you are, which has caused the rumors she's been spreading about you to backfire. Right now, people are not all that happy with her."

"So, basically, they're just bitter people," I said.

"Yeah," Angela said, and I tasted her discomfort over my words. I got the feeling that they were friends with her, though why she'd lower herself to be friends with them was something I couldn't figure out.

After lunch – in which I ate to keep people from wondering about me – I had Biology II. Angela was also in that class, so we went together. Mike, unfortunately, joined us, beginning to chat the entire way. Angela and I exchanged a look of dislike, and did our best to ignore him. I focused all of my energy on Angela's emotions, which were pleasant but not tempting, unlike Mike's sugar and cinnamon mix. Even we we got to the room, I focused on her. Mike, however, seemed to think that I wanted him around me, coming to stand by me after having been directed to the table I was to sit at, talking about things that he thought would interest me, but just made me want to shut him up someway, preferable in a permanent way.

I was aware of an encroaching emotion on my tongue, though my focus on Angela kept it from overpowering me. I was looking steadily at the table, desperately thinking of a way to get Mike to leave me the hell alone, when a quiet, musical, male voice spoke.

"Excuse me, Mike," the voice said, and it was so beautiful that it snapped my focus away from Angela's emotions.

I wish to god that it hadn't, for as soon as I no longer had a specific person to focus on, The one emotion I'd felt on my tongue intensified. I was made – quite painfully – aware of the fact the energy that thrummed through this new boy's body, an energy that was like a million humans combined, practically radiating off of his skin, crackling in the air around him.

I realized that I had done something wrong, letting this boy's voice distract me. Even though I had felt him coming, I had been able to miss his emotions thanks to my intense focus on Angela. However, with so much energy, being so close to me... it was impossible to resist. It shredded through the feeble walls in my brain, as well as wrecking havoc on my weak control.

I was no longer the monster trying to be good that I'd been an instant ago, nowhere near the human I'd once been. I could taste the boredom and slight curiosity he felt – rice, with just the barest tint of honey. I smiled viciously. So he was bored, was he? That wouldn't last long. I would make him feel things he'd never imagined before, right before I tore into that energy running through him and fed to my hearts content.

I was a predator that had not hunted in almost a year. This boy whose name I didn't even know was my prey.

I was a succubus, and this boy had a bottomless supply of energy.

As soon as I'd become aware of him, a terrible fire had ratcheted up to an unprecedented level of burning pain, once that was spreading. First, from my lips, which felt like I'd kissed a white-hot poker, then in my mouth, followed by my throat, like I'd tried to swallow said white-hot poker. And then, the burning became a terrible hunger, spreading through my veins, my arteries, my capillaries, until it felt like every inch of me was on fire.

It was fire that could only be quenched by one way; it could only be quenched by the colossal amount of energy stored in the body of the boy who was just now sitting down next to me. All I would have to do was look up, into his eyes, and make him forget where he was, who he was – everything but me, and the fact that he wanted to kiss me more than he'd ever wanted anything else. No, it wasn't that he wanted to kiss me. I'd make it so that he felt that he needed to kiss me, that there was nothing more important that little fact.

And then, once that easy part was out of the way, once the connection between our minds and bodies had been established, I would will his every ounce of life into myself, pulling it from him and absorbing it. It probably wouldn't even kill him – I could detect no limit, no end to the energy I could feel. I had the feeling that I could feed off of him for day, glut myself until I was so full I'd want for no more, and not hurt him in the slightest.

Not even a second had passed since he'd arrived. He sat down beside me, in what I assumed was his assigned, seat, and I heard him turn to face me. He couldn't see my face – I'd shifted my hair over my shoulder to hide my face from Mike, and this new boy would be just as blind to my expression, which was surely one of primal, immense hunger. I was just about to turn to him and wipe all thought from his mind – the fact that there were others around us, that I shouldn't do this at the moment barely crossed my mind. I tensed, my head beginning to turn towards him. Before I could look him in the eye, but just as his face came into view, I saw and heard him take a deep breath, most likely preparing to speak.

And, in an instant, everything drastically changed once more.

Before he'd take a whole breath, before he'd pulled more than a fraction of a breath in, he froze too. The rice and honey taste of his bored curiosity vanished, and new flavors danced across my tongue, enough to shock me and bring me back to my senses, making me realize what it was that I had just been about to do.

I locked my muscles into place, desperately clinging to my reason like it was a rock and I was drowning in the ocean. The control was like a thin sheet of glass, ready to shatter at any moment, but it was there. His emotions passed quickly, changing from one to another so fast that I could hardly register them. Maraschino cherries, representing shock, was the first, which was followed by cinnamon desire, a raw want that was stronger than anything I'd ever felt. It hit me like a physical blow, almost knocking me off my chair.

However, unlike everyone else, this desire tasted darker, like it was mixed with a chili powder, signaling that this want was the want I was used to tasting. This want was like my hunger. The realization struck me – this boy was a predator as well. And, just he was making me hungry, I was do the same to him. Just as he was my prey, I was his prey. If both of us snapped, each trying to feed off the other, who would win? It was a challenge that I almost, almost, was willing to find out.

Then, after his desire almost broke through my control once more, desperation came over him, coating my tongue in burnt plastic. It seemed that he didn't want to succumb to his hunger anymore than I did. The burnt plastic taste was disgusting enough to help my control. And when his hate – like acid – enveloped over him, it helped me even more. Oh, I could taste how he hated me, hated me with a passion as strong as my hatred for her. It was hate that became mixed with anger – no, fury – coating my tongue like ashes, oddly fitting, in my opinion, considering the burning in my mouth. He despised me almost as much as he wanted to hunt me.

And the feelings of hatred and fury were mutual. Who was this boy? What right did he have to make me burn like this, to tempt me so badly that I was willing to let everyone know what I was? What right did he have to make me clench my hands until my fingernails almost cut into my palms, to make me clench my teeth so hard my jaw hurt? What had he done to me? I'd been fine until he'd come! Why? Why now, why me?

I could feel that my control was tedious at best, and would be easy to slip. Why did he have to make me so hungry? Why did he have to call the predator inside me? Even now, I could feel it shaking off the bonds I'd hastily put around it, coming closer to the surface once more. Even though his hatred and fury was still flowing, my predator had locked on the desire he still felt, using it to fuel it. It would break free soon. Why was he going to make me kill him? I didn't want to kill him! I didn't want to be a monster!

You won't kill him... There's no end to his energy...You can take as much as you want... Those were the words that my predator began whispering to me as it grew stronger. The words repeated, becoming louder as it got stronger. I locked my every muscle into place. I wouldn't do it, I wouldn't. Neither he nor it could make me. I beat back my hunger furiously, clinging to my self-control with everything I had, using my hatred for him and her, my desire to be nothing like her, my fervent wish that she had never made what I was, my love for my mother and father, everything to keep my control. And I found that I was just barely able to do so.

I could last until the bell rang. Just one hour. I could do it. No, I would do it.

The minutes passed by slowly, agonizingly, as though someone were pushing bamboo slivers under my nails with every tick of the clock. I was never able to relax, never able to look up. I never glanced through my hair to see who the boy was. If I happened to glance at him at the exact time he glanced at me – and I could feel his eyes on me from time to time – if I met his eyes, saw his energy and emotion there, it would be all over. It wouldn't matter what emotion I saw in his eyes. I'd take him.

I didn't hear a word of Mr. Banner's lecture.

The stream of powerful emotions coming from the boy never ceased. They all stayed, fluctuating occasionally on my tongue as he felt one more strongly than the others. Acid, ash, burnt plastic, cinnamon, vinegar, garlic, pepper... over and over again, they danced on my tongue.

He was, I noticed, feeling almost the exact things that I was feeling. Of course, our situations weren't that different, but still, it surprised me. I thought about it more that strictly necessary. I was grasping at detail to distract myself from the boundless energy I could still feel in him. I could only imagine how it would feel to press my mouth to his, and pull it into myself, feeling it rush through me, feeling the tingle, the rush, the adrenaline, the satisfaction – NO! I stopped myself fiercely. That was not the way to keep myself in check.

RRRIIINNNGGG! Oh, thank God. I was about to stand, to rush out of there like a bat fleeing hell, but the boy was faster than me – before I could raise my head, he was out the door. I only caught a glimpse of a tall, slender frame and bronze hair before he disappeared down the hall. I unlocked my rigid muscles, darting away before Mike could catch me – I had no control left.. The boy had used up what little I had to begin with. I was too dangerous right then to even risk going to Gym, which was my next class. So, I pulled my hood up, hiding my face, and walked too fast out of the school, through the parking lot, and into the forest that bordered the asphalt.

Once I was in the cover of the trees, I started to run, to really run, so fast that no human could have ever caught me, whether through running themselves or even looking. I didn't stop until I was far enough away from the school that I could no longer feel the pull of the boy's incredible energy. Then, I collapsed to my knees on the forest floor, breathing hard and trembling, trying to forget what that boy made me want to do. I staggered upright, lurching over to a nearby fallen tree, where I sat down, bringing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs as if to ward off the cold.

I took a deep, shaky breath, about to burst into uncontrollable tears. But a wry, amused voice spoke up from behind me, making me – tense and on-edge already – jump a foot into the air. I whirled around, seeing her leaning against a tree almost right behind me.

"Well," she said lightly, "that was interesting."

Chapter Text

Bella's Point of View

---

I glared at her, noticing that her dark eyes were wide and innocent, as if deny that she could ever do wrong. I didn't believe that for a second.

"You again?" I snarled at her. I actually wasn't all that surprised, just ticked off. I really did not want to talk to her at the moment, considering what I'd just dealt with. She scowled at me, her own temper obviously rising to the surface as well.

"I swear, Bella," she growled, "if you call me 'you' one more time, I'm going to hurt you, which would really screw up your control not to 'feed' properly. My name is Ashanti. Say it with me – Ah-shan-ti." She repeated the last part slowly, accenting every syllable. I just looked at her, refusing to dignify that with a response, though her obvious threat did shake me a bit.

Ashanti growled furiously, gripping her hair in her hands as though she was going to pull it out by the roots.

"You are the most stubborn girl I've ever met!" she declared. But them, much to my shock, grudging respect entered her eyes. "Although, as much as that annoys me, I suppose that's why you were able to keep from attacking that poor fellow in class." She 'tisk' mockingly, shaking her head. "That was the closest call I've ever seen. I thought I was going to have to come in and rescue you. After all, while I want you to feed, doing so in front of a bunch of humans wouldn't have been good, unless you were prepared to kill them all."

I bared my teeth at her.

"I don't need rescuing!" I hissed. Ahsanti pressed her lips to keep from laughing, which only angered me further. "I was fine!" I insisted, imagining what backhanding her into the nearest tree would sound like. I wouldn't do it, though. Not because I'd feel bad about it or anything like that, but because she was a lot stronger than me. I'd learned that in our second meeting, and I had no desire to lose to her again.

Ashanti gave up on repressing her mirth then, and threw her head back, laughing up a storm.

" 'Fine'?" she gasped. " 'Fine', she says! Oh, that's rich. You only got lucky because he hated you just as much as you were him."

An animalistic shriek of fury tore from my throat, and I almost lunged at her right then, but Ashanti held her hands up apologetically.

"I don't blame you," she soothed me as her laughter died out. "If I had been in your place and hadn't fed in almost a year, I wouldn't have been able to hold back, his hatred being there or not. Of course, I doubted he would have hated me as much as he did you..." she trailed off, frowning. The surprised respect returned to her expression.

"You must be stronger than I thought, though," she acknowledged slowly, and I was so shocked my the compliment that I almost missed her next words. "After all, vampires have so much more energy than humans – they're so much harder to resist. And the fact that he seemed just as interested in you as you were him..."

I didn't hear that last part all too well, my thoughts still on the one word she revealed. At first, I thought I'd heard her wrong, however unlikely that was due to my perfect hearing. But her words kept echoing in my mind, and I realized that she had indeed said vampires. My jaw dropped.

"There's no such thing as vampires," I objected automatically, without even thinking about how stupid the words sounded coming from me, something just as mystical as a vampire. Ashanti noticed and cocked a cool, mocking eyebrow.

"So says the succubus," she pointed out. "It is really logical to disbelieve the existence of vampires when you yourself are something out of a story book? An adult story book, but a story book none the less?"

I blushed at my blunder, and rolled my eyes at her attempts to be funny. Before she could say anything more, I said, "You never told me that vampires were real." My tone was more than slightly accusing.

"I would have," Ashanti snapped, patience gone at the moment. "But, if I recall correctly, you never gave me a chance. Every time I tried to teach you something about the supernatural world, you would start screaming for me to get out and throw things at me if I didn't move fast enough."

I blushed again. She did recall correctly. I had done that. But I wasn't sorry, not after what she'd done to me, and I'd do it again if I went through that once more.

"Why was he so..." I trailed off, not wanting to use the adjectives running through my head – they seemed too predatory.

"Tempting?" Ashanti supplied. "Delectable? Because we hunger for energy, as you well know, and vampires never tire. They never run out of energy." Her eyes darkened with hunger as she spoke. "It's all right there, just under their skin, waiting to be accessed. They are the ultimate prey for us, the pinnacle of everything we want."

I was becoming a little uncomfortable with the way she was speaking, and a dangerous grin spread across her face, almost making me shudder.

"And they are quite fun to hunt, in all honesty. But if you rethink this ridiculous restraint to feed of yours and decide to go after him, be careful. The Draw works on them, and we can muddle their thoughts, but their minds are strong than humans; and they can shake off the delirium," she warned. "If they come to their senses and realize that you're feeding off of them, they are strong enough to fight you off and kill you, if they can figure it out." Her smile turned sarcastic. "The hunters don't like figuring that some creatures consider them prey, and their instincts are almost just like the instincts of every other creature that's figured out they're hunted."

I don't know why, but I got the feeling that there was something she wasn't saying, for she turned away at the last moment, inspecting her nails as she casually changed the subject.

"I was wondering whether or not you'd be able to resist them," she said, before I could ask her how they thought of us when around us, the memory of how the boy had felt intense hunger for me going through my mind. However, her words distracted me, and shock hit me like a wave as I realized what they meant.

"You knew he was going to be there?" I screeched. "And you let me go in there, knowing that I might attack him, and not even considering warning me about this beforehand?"

Ashanti shrugged. "Even if you had attacked him, it wouldn't have hurt him," she said dismissively. "You could feed on him for a hundred years and no even make him stumble. And how was I supposed to warn you, anyway. I didn't know that he was going to go into the room where you already were. It's not like I could just text you."

"But you know that I don't want to do that, ever, not even if it wouldn't hurt him!" I cried, ignoring the rest of what she said. Ashanti's eyes met mine, and there was a strange look in them.

"I know," she murmured, her voice oddly vulnerable. "I just think that – for your sake – you should get over it. I could easily teach you so much, if you would just do that."

I didn't want to see this side of her. I didn't want to see her worry for me. I wanted to hate her for making me a monster, not realize that, maybe, in her own way, she was just as messed up as I was. So, I changed the subject. "How exactly did you even know he was here?" I asked her, looking away. Ashanti seemed to realize what I was doing, and pulled back behind her walls, becoming her usual, easy to hate, self once again.

"Because, unlike some people," she said with a pointed, amused glance at me, "I didn't spend the night in my room, scowling at the ceiling. I decided to explore the forest before eating, and ran across scents that I knew belonged to vampires. I followed them – though it took me a while, as there were quite a few tracks – until I found their house. The vampire and his family live near here, north of the Calawah River."

"Oh," I mused, lost in my thoughts about the strange boy who'd made me react in such a repulsing way. Then, what else she said hit me.

" 'The vampire and his family'?" I repeated, my voice a little higher in surprise and horror. She meant to say that there were others like him, that could easily have ended up springing themselves upon me as Edward did, their emotions just as strong as his are. Had that happened, I would not have survived, and most likely would have attacked.

Ashanti looked thoughtful. "Yes," she said, and I got the feeling that there was something strange about this family of vampires. I waited for her to elaborate, but she just looked ahead blankly, deeply pensive. I wanted to know what she was thinking.

"What?" I asked her. Her eyes snapped back into focus as she looked at me.

"I was just thinking about his family. I don't think that they're like others of their kind," she said.

"Why not? I mean, what give you that conclusion?" I asked, aware that this was one of the longest conversations I'd have with her, and that I was the one expanding it. However, for some reason, the boy – and learning of vampires – had me fascinated, wanting to know as much as I could about them.

"They –" she began. "There's...seven of them." The way she said that was as if it was surprising to have so many vampires in one place. Then, realizing that she knew more about vampires than I did, it was entirely possible that it was a strange thing.

Still, I was confused by it. "So?" I said. She snorted.

"I forgot that you know absolutely nothing about our world," she said. I winced, hating that she could legitimately call me a part of the world of monsters, and realized that I should have worded my confused differently.

"Most vampires prefer to travel alone, so they don't have to worry about someone stealing their 'meal'," she explained. "Some – mates, mostly – travel in pairs. A very, very few travel in groups of three, almost always breaking apart if one ends up running into their mate. I only know of two instances were large numbers are in a group. One of them are the armies to the south, and even then, they tear each other to pieces more often than they work together. And then there's the Volturi, but I've rumors that the only reason why they work out so well is that they have someone who can make it that way.

"So, to see such a large coven, living so peacefully together, is pretty much unheard of. In fact, I don't even thing it can be called a coven," she continued, keeping me from asking what this 'Volturi' was. I was also about to ask about these armies she mentioned as well, but she didn't appear to want to talk about them.

"They don't seem to be together for the normal reasons that vampires band together. There's no practical or convenient purpose for them to do so, that I can see. They..." she struggled to put her thoughts into words. "They... actually seem to... love each other."

The idea seemed to shock her. I glared at her suspiciously at her last phrase. "How do you know all of this if you just found where they lived?" I asked. She smiled sheepishly at me.

"Well, I might have watched and listened to them for the rest of the night," she said. I gaped at her. "I was curious," she added defensively, seeing the look on my face. I looked away after a while. Really, it shouldn't surprise me that she'd do that.

"So there are seven of them," I muttered. If just the one contained so much energy, I could only imagine how much seven of them would have... I winced, thinking of the intense burning so much energy would inspire. That made me think of something else, and I wondered out loud, "How in hell did I miss them all day, then, especially if there are seven of them? I mean, I only realized that the one was there when he sat down beside me, and then I couldn't believe that I hadn't noticed him before... how did I miss seven?"

Ashanti, who had been watching and listening to me, knew the answer to my question, especially since she'd apparently been spying on me all day.

"You didn't have any classes with or near them," she said. You were also concentrating on ignoring everyone's emotions around you, and, even if you did taste them, the sheer number of the students would have distracted you from their emotions, since you'd need to either be close to or concentrating on them in order to get a full taste of their emotions. Plus, they skipped lunch, so that's why you didn't notice them even earlier. And not all seven of them go to school – the lead male, Carlisle, works at the hospital, while his mate stays home most of the day."

I looked sharply at Ashanti. "He works at the hospital?" I repeated. Hospitals meant blood, and, as that was the main part of their diet – at least, that's how it was for every true vampire story I'd ever heard of – then it was a bit concerning to hear that. How did a vampire work around it all day and not try to take a snap at one of the patients, doctors, or nurses?

Ashanti, seeming to understand my surprise, nodded her head slowly.

"I don't know how he does it," she whispered, and the awe was evident in her voice. "Like I said, they're different from the others. I don't suppose you looked at the boy's eyes?"

I clenched my jaw, shaking my head, and Ashanti chuckle. She, of all people, should know what would have happened if I'd looked into his eyes.

"Of course you didn't," she said wryly. "I guess that was a stupid question. But, if you had – at least, before he noticed whatever it was about you that set off his hunger –" here I got a feeling that she had an idea of what it might have been – "you would have noticed that they were a sort of gold color. In fact, the entire family's eyes are that gold color."

She said it as if it actually meant something to me, and I sighed. "Will you stop saying things in that tone? I mean, why you're saying something that's apparently significant? I don't know how it's supposed to be in the first place, so the whole defining tone doesn't mean anything to me. And what exactly do you mean, 'if I had seen them before he became hungry for me'?"

Ashanti glanced at me, impatiently.

"Vampires usually have red eyes, Bella," she said slowly, like I was a stupid child. "And when they're hungry – or aroused, or angry – the color changed to black."

I barely heard her last words, my temper rising due to the tone she'd used. I threw my hands up.

"This is pointless!" I snapped, my mood swinging around so quickly, it would have caused whiplash towards someone else. "This whole conversation has nothing to do with the real problem, like, what I'm supposed to do now!"

Ashanti stretched, looking bored, as if she was tired of talking to me.

"I can't tell you what to do," she began.

"I wasn't asking!" I told her, protesting the very idea of going to her for help. Beside, I knew what her advice would be – feed to my hearts content, and ignore what it may or may not do to him. "I don't need your help."

"But you have three choices," Ashanti continued, as if I'd never opened my mouth. "Firstly, you can disappear now. Disappear, and run away, accelerating those plans you probably already have picked out in your head, and hope you never run into another vampire. Secondly, you can give up trying to be something you're not, and feed so that the energy the vampire has doesn't bother you half as much as it obviously does. After all, the only reason why it affects you so much right now is because you're starving."

I hissed at her for saying that, even though it was true. Not feeding properly was bound to cause him to taste even more appealing that he already did. Ashanti ignored me, continuing with what she was saying.

"Or," she said, her voice becoming soft, "you can do nothing. Don't hunt, go back to school, and hope to hell that you're strong enough to continue resisting him. Either way, it's your decision on what to do – it's not like you would listen to my real advice anyway."

She turned around, starting to walk off into the forest. Just before she completely disappeared from view, she paused, turning her head just enough to give me a side profile of her face.

"Oh, and, by the way – his name is Edward," she said, vanishing into the trees then, leaving me with jumbled thoughts, a perplexing problem, and the distinct impression that she had purposefully tried to confuse me. But, as I heard the bell ring in the distance, telling me school had ended, I realized that she was right about one thing: I did have to choose, eventually.

I was just hoping that I could put it off a bit longer until I had really thought about it.

---

Edward's Point of View

---

High school, my personal hell on Earth. That was a thought from me that I knew would never change.

I'd only just arrived at school, and, already, I was bored out of my mind. The reason why had to do with the fact that I knew what I'd be learning already – absolutely nothing. I already knew anything the teachers might pull out of their lesson plans. Of course, what also bored me was the entirely predictable nature of the thoughts around me.

However, today was a bit different. Not all thoughts were on the subjects the teachers taught, or even some dramatic, and often untrue, gossip about someone's romantic life. Instead, as they had when it became learned of, they revolved fixedly around the new girl, Chief Swan's daughter, Isabella Swan. While most of the thoughts I'd heard came from those who had her in their class – a distinct impression of a hooded creature sitting in the back obvious in almost all their minds – even people not in that class were thinking about her, wondering what type of music she liked or what Phoenix was like.

Most of the male populace was thinking the same thing – Does she have a boyfriend? – the girls were trying to assure themselves that she was ugly, and that they looked a lot better. Personally, concerning the males, I couldn't really see the draw towards her – while those outside of her class had distorted images of what she looked like, the ones in her class couldn't really see her, just a slight body shape, and, based on what I could tell, Isabella, or Bella, as I heard her mention to Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie, who finally managed to get close enough to see what she actually looked like, seemed just like the rest of the boring humans. There really was no difference between them at all.

However, there was one strange point about her. She seemed to shy away from the attention, never looking anyone in the eye. And, those that she did, well, their memories of her began to hold a little something strange to them. Their thoughts started to drift, changing and twisting if they managed to catch her eye. A pull, a draw, seemed to make them want to move closer to her, despite her slightly standoffish behavior – that was something else I noted, she was acting like me and my family had done on our first day here.

The draw she seemed to have made me think of a magnet and metal, with her being the magnet and everyone else metal. It was like they were hopelessly and inexplicably drawn to her. I pondered the odd sensation for quite a while, distracted from the impromptu hunting trip Alice drew us all in. I was still pondering it as I walked at a careful, human pace to Biology. It was only as I got closer to the building that I realized that I was actually paying attention to something about a human, making me quickly dismiss it from my mind as I forcefully came up with a reason for it. It was obvious that they were just children, fascinated by a shiny new toy.

I searched briefly for the thoughts in the science building out of habit, blinking once in surprise as I realized that she, Bella, was in this class, already sitting down in her seat, which was the one right next to mine. I sighed, knowing that she wouldn't enjoy being my lab partner, just as I wouldn't enjoy being hers. Not only did no one like being around my family and I for a long amount of time – Carlisle being the one mostly excluded – but the fact was, being that she was female, I was bound to be bombarded with her thought, most of them probably going to flicker between fantasies and her discomfort.

I was used to a female's mind doing that. They didn't know that the discomfort was actually their fear towards us, their sense of self-preservation screaming at them to get away from the predators that me and my family were. In fact, that self-preservation was usually enough to keep most of them away, if it was possible, which was why I usually wasn't bothered by them, despite my single status.

As I got closer to the door of the, I couldn't help but let a smirk curve the corners of my mouth. Mike Newton was once again proving himself to be a complete idiot, spewing a stream of small talk at Bella, who was sitting with her shoulders hunched and her head down. It was obvious that she was wishing he would leave her alone. As I slipped through the door, a few people noticed me, glancing up before returning their attention to whatever they'd been doing. Their thoughts all held the same disinterested tone – it was just one of the Cullens. My family preferred thoughts like that – except for Rosalie, who loved being the center of attention. However, it was always a good thing for people to have thoughts like that. The less people watched us, the less chance there was for exposure.

I turned towards the lab table I would be sharing with Bella, beginning to focus on her, trying to get a read on her thoughts before I sat down. Not only was I curious to know if she was listening to Mike or not, but it was always better to have knowledge of how a person thought before I had talked to them.

I focused... then frowned and focused harder. However, the end result was the same. It was nothing. I was getting nothing from her, not even a whisper.

Unease stirred in my stomach. This had never happened before. No one had ever been silent like this. It was almost like she either wasn't thinking at all, or she wasn't there. However, a quick look told me that the neither were true. She still sat there, Mike chatting at her like a fool, her shoulders set in a stiff way, obviously annoyed at him. She also appeared shy, let long dark hair flowing over her shoulder, hiding her face.

It was obvious that she was feeling uncomfortable with him around her. Surely she had to be thinking something. But, it appeared that, if she was, I couldn't hear it. I frowned slightly. This was incredibly frustrating. What was she thinking? Why couldn't I hear her?

Not even a second had passed since I'd walked through the door. I kept walking automatically, pausing just behind Mike. He was between me and my seat, and needed to move before I could get to my chair. I felt a flicker of irritation – I'd made noise as I'd walked up behind him, and I knew that he'd heard me, but he still wasn't moving.

I wanted to get closer to Bella, thinking that, perhaps, the closer proximity would help me read her mind, despite that it had never been needed before. I doubted that I'd find anything worth hearing from her – she was just another human, another featureless sheep in the herd. Whatever she was thinking, I'd probably heard it before. Still, the fact that I couldn't hear her was driving me mad, pushing my curiosity.

And Mike was still standing there, practically harassing Bella with his babble. A small well of protectiveness went through me. Couldn't he tell that she wanted nothing to do with him? I wanted to protect her from him, which was a bit ridiculous, because I shouldn't be feeling like that. Still, even if I couldn't really protect her as I wanted, I still needed him to move.

"Excuse me, Mike?" I said, having to work at making myself sound polite. Mike turned to face me, and, at the exact same time, I saw Bella Swan's reaction change. First, she started just ever so slightly, as if only just realizing that someone other than Mike was next to her. Then, her breath hissed softly in, and she went rigid in her seat, her heart beating faster and her hands clenching into white knuckled fists.

My eyes widened slightly in surprise and Mike walked dejectedly back to his seat and I sat down beside her. How could I have made her angry? I hadn't even spoken to her yet! Had my initial assumptions about her annoyance with Mike Newton been wrong? Had she been interested in him? Was she angry with me for cutting their conversation short? Strange – she hadn't seemed to be interested in Mike. And, even if she had been, her reaction was still a little off – my experience told me that disappointment and annoyance, not outright fury, were the appropriate emotions.

Why was she so different? Were all humans this difficult to read? Perhaps I wasn't as intuitive as I'd thought – perhaps I relied too much on my insight. I obviously needed to smooth things over. I turned to her, intending to say something generic and polite, to introduce myself. I sent myself on that plan, starting to inhale to speak.

And her scent slammed into me with the force of a nuclear bomb.

The girl's anger at me was forgotten. Her unreachable thoughts were forgotten. Her strange reaction to me was forgotten.

Her scent pervaded every part of my mind, violently shoving everything else out. I felt it in my body as well, a scorching burn that raced up and down my throat; a dry, fiery ache that filled my empty veins; the desiccated sensation in my mouth. I forgot my family and what I was about to do would do to them. I forgot that the girl next to me had a family of her own who would miss her. I forgot that I had devoted myself to being good, not to harm another human again.

Only one reality existed. I was a vampire, and she had the sweetest blood I'd ever encountered.

Her scent was so strong, so amazing, that it almost, almost, propelled me out of my seat and toward her throat. I tensed, preparing my body for the action, no thought of resistance in my mind. The, seemingly out of nowhere, Carlisle's face appeared in my mind, his expression sad, yet filled with such a devastating kindness and understanding that was somehow worse than censure and anger. It was an expression I'd only seen on his face once – the day I'd told him that I had decided to live like the rest of our kind, that I would be leaving them. That period of darkness had been so filled with death and depression. I had hurt Carlisle and Esme so badly, for no other reason except for my own selfishness and desires.

And was about to do it again. And this time, I wouldn't only be affecting Carlisle and Esme, but the rest of my family as well. Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper. I would force them to uproot themselves and relocate. And I would become even more of a monster than I already was. Another face appeared beside Carlisle's in my mind. It was my face, the way I'd looked during my rebellious period. It was a monster's face – hard, cynical, and cold, with eyes as red as a demon's.

It was a face that I had worked hard to bury, a face that haunted me and represented everything I didn't want to be. And yet, if I went through with what I was about to do, I would become him again. The thought hurt almost as much as the intense burning. I didn't want to be a demon, a devil, a monster! I didn't want to hurt my mother and father! I wanted to deserve the love they gave so freely, even though I knew I never could. I didn't want to kill this girl.

I wouldn't do it – I refused. She couldn't make me, no matter how much I burned.

I sharply pushed the air out of my lungs and held my breath. Relief came instantly, but it was incomplete – I could still hear her heartbeat, could still feel the shuddering waves of body heat she threw off, and the memory of her smell remained in my mind. I could taste it on the back of my tongue. But I couldn't think of the taste. Desperately, I clung to my reason, my hatred for the monster I was, hoping beyond hope that it would be enough.

I found myself furious with the girl next to me, fury rolling off of me as I looked at her, glaring. What was this girl? Why did she have to be so ridiculously, appallingly decadent? Why did she have to be here, now? Why did she have to be in this tiny town, in this school, in this class? What were the odds of choosing the exact state, town, and school, of being assigned the seat next to one of the only vampires on earth that interacted with humans?

It couldn't be a coincidence. Maybe she was a punishment – the thing the monster wanted most, after I had given up self-gratification. Maybe she had been sent by fate to burn me. It was as much as I deserved. Still, that knowledge didn't keep be from hating the slender, terribly appealing girl beside me.

Even as I continued to glare at her, I knew that these thoughts were foolish and unfair. It wasn't her fault, after all. She didn't ask to smell so delicious to me. What I really hated was myself, the monster in me that wanted to grip those slight shoulders, turner towards me, and pull her forward, crushing her throat against my teeth so that I could drink the warm, thick, pulsing – my hands gripped the edge of the lab table so hard my fingers left an imprint on the wood as I looked away from her. I only had to resist for an hour, but thinking about what she would taste like was not going to help anything.

The hour turned into the longest hour of my existence. I was immortal, surely the sixty minutes shouldn't feel longer than the one hundred and ten years that I'd been alive. Yet, they did. Of course, I had never experienced such an intolerable burning before – it was driving me insane. The pain was so intense, like fire was crawling up my throat. It would be so easy to quench – the girl was weak and wouldn't be able to fight me off. However, now that I could think a bit, I realized that it wouldn't be just her I'd kill. No, the other children and the teacher in here – they'd be witnesses of my heinous act. They would have to die as well.

My mind had no trouble with the math. If I couldn't control the third that raged in my parched throat, then I would have to kill twenty innocent people. Never, not even in my darker days, had I committed such an atrocity. I would truly be a monster.

You're already a monster, the third maddened part of me snarled. You won't change that status if you kill or do no kill them. Just let go – stop trying to be something you're not. You want her!

I swallowed back the venom that pooled in my mouth. The monster didn't need to remind me how much I wanted her – even if I lived until the world ended, I would never forget the exquisite burning I was enduring in this moment. Yes, I wanted her. But I'd been denying my body what it wanted for years – this was no time to stop.

At last, just when I thought that I couldn't sit there for another second, the bell rang. Before it finished, I was out of the classroom and darting down the hall. But I could feel a familiar presence at my back. Her heartbeat was almost right behind me. For one horrible second, horror and want stabbed into my gut. Was she following me? Did she have a death wish? I didn't know if I could resist if she stopped me, if she demanded and explanation for my behavior and her breath swirled across my face. However, a small part of me thought that, perhaps, this would be better if she was following me; I'd only have to kill her, not everyone else.

However, as we both neared the parking lot, she veered off, and I heard her footsteps begin to fade as she nearly ran toward the opposite end of it, the area farthest away from my current destination – my car. I gasped the clean, wet air outside once I was sure it wasn't tainted with her scent. The way I breathed it in and out was as if I'd been suffocating, and this was the first time I'd had fresh air – which, in a way, it almost was.

My hands didn't shake as I unlocked my Volvo, opening the driver's side door, but, if I had been human, I knew that they would have been. I slammed he door behind me, breathing in the scents of my siblings to further purge my lungs of that scent...

I ground my teeth, resting my forehead against the steering wheel. Keep it together I ordered myself furiously. Quickly, I jabbed the power button on the car's radio, and the CD I'd been listening to on the drive to school started playing again. It was a CD that usually calmed me down, but it did little to ease the tension in my entire body at the moment. I was as rigid and unmovable as rock. And I had a feeling that I would stay that way until I was far, far away from the girl and the temptation her blood presented.

Far away. My thoughts circles around the two little words, and I was startled to find the conclusion that my subconscious had drawn. Forks was a small town – the run to her house couldn't take more than five minutes, at the most. Knowing that she – and her blood – were so close to me would be a constant, nagging thought, always pulling me towards her, toward the monster I didn't want to be. I feared that I couldn't be near her without putting her and my family at risk – without succumbing to drinking her blood.

I shuddered at the thought, and became even more disgusted with myself, for the shiver had been not only one of repulsion, but one of desire. I could not be near the Swan girl.

The car doors opened, my family climbing into my car. I jerked; I had been so deep in thought that I hadn't heard them coming at all. In the rear view mirror, I could see Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper's startled expressions. I only heard their mental confusion for a moment before Alice claimed my attention.

"Why are you leaving?" she demanded, her small arms crossed over her chest, her dark eyes narrowed dangerously. It was obvious that she hadn't seen what I'd almost done in Biology. "Do you have any idea how upset Esme will be? And Carlisle, too! What are you thinking?"

I wavered. Perhaps... if I didn't allow myself to be alone often, and rearranged my classes so I no longer sat next to her...

And, in my peripheral vision, I saw a flicker of motion at the other end of the parking lot. I glanced away from Alice to see what it was – and froze.

Bella, looking cautiously around her to see if anyone was watching, slid swiftly out from between the trees, making her way toward an antiquated red truck, digging into her pocket and bringing out a key. She was far away from me, but even at this distance, I could see her pulse throbbing in her throat, could remember how appetizing she smelled.

The monster in my reared his head again. Most of the humans were gone – the teachers and faculty that remained were inside, and wouldn't be able to see what was about to happen. My hand reached for the door handle on it's own power – I never told it to move. I saw glimpses of what appeared to be a violent vision filling Alice's mind, hearing her gasp, but I paid no attention to it. I was hunting.

"NO!" Alice's shriek was background noise, unimportant. The hand that grasped a fistful of my hair and yanked me away from the door, away from Bella, however, was not. I snarled sharply, my eyes never leaving Bella, a predator that felt its prey was being taken.

"Edward, what are you doing?" she screeched. "Jasper!"

A wave pf calm, almost lethargy, swept through me, and, at the exact same moment, Bella – who must have heard Alice's screams – whipped her head around to look at us with wide, startled eyes.

Our eyes locked together, completely by accident. Her face changed abruptly, turning severe and oddly inviting at the same time. But I only saw these changes with the lesser part of my mind. Most of my concentration was focused on those eyes, those large, warm, doe eyes that called to me, beckoned me closer, promised me anything and everything I wanted...

My body relaxed, and I reached again for the door handle, this time intending to approach her calmly and... I didn't actually know what I would do when I got there yet. All I knew was that I needed to be closer to her. The car door swung open, and I tried to get out, but something was holding me back. I struggled against it absentmindedly, swatting at the restraints half-heartedly. I felt hazy, muddled, blissfully content and happy. A small part of my mind compared the feeling to that of a human under the influence of alcohol or drugs, though it wasn't quite like that. The feeling was entirely foreign and indescribable.

Then, a sharp, stinging something cracked across my face. The blow made my head snap, breaking my eye contact with Bella, and the pain cut through the fog in my mind like a knife. Clarity rushed back to me – and I knew that something was wrong. Aware of my surrounding again, I realized that I was half-way out of the car with Emmett leaning around the driver's seat and holding me down. I must have looked comical, but, from a glimpse of Bella's face through Rosalie's alarmed mind, Bella appeared furious, almost inhumanly so.

"He's coming around!" Jasper growled, and I forgot about Bella as I realized that he too was gripping me from the back seat. "Drive!"

Alice obeyed immediately, reaching her leg over the console from where she sat in the passenger's seat, and slamming the down the gas pedal, grabbing the steering wheel in the same second. The tires squealed against the asphalt, and, with Alice steering, the Volvo launched forward, out of the parking lot and towards the highway with me still half-out of the car. My last glimpse of Bella myself saw her seemingly to shake herself from her fury and looked almost horrified for some reason before she disappeared.

Once she was gone, I pulled myself back in effortlessly, slamming the door closed behind me. I didn't try to take the steering wheel from Alice, nor did she offer me control of the car. I was frozen, in shock. What had that been? How had Bella, a human girl, done that? How had she manage to muddle up my brain so badly that it took everyone to keep me from going to her? Was she human at all?

I was breathing heavily, as if I'd ran five hundred miles without stopping. Everyone's thoughts were shocked as well, wondering what had almost happened themselves. None of them, though, actually realized that my attempts to get to Bella weren't because of the fact that I wanted to kill her, but because she called to me.

"I think you might have been right before," Alice said tightly, after several minutes of silence. "Maybe it would be best if you left for a while."

I could think of no argument against that observation.

Chapter Text

 

Bella’s Point of View

---

 

Idiot, idiot, idiot repeated through my mind as I drove myself home. I was extremely upset with myself over what I had almost done. In fact, once they'd gone, I found myself extremely thankful that those others with him, his siblings, had managed to distract him and get him away while I tried to gain control of myself. I probably didn't appear very thankful at the time, though. The monster inside of me had been in full control of everything, screaming furiously inside at being denied it's prey.

I still could not believe what an idiot I had been to look over at him. However, as sad as I was to admit this, it had been the monster in me that was in control at the time, unable to not be tempted by the boundless energy of Edward mixed in with those of his family. I couldn't help but look over when I heard his name mention, surprised when I noticed that he and his family seemed to be fighting. And then, our eyes had connected, and it felt as if I had been thrown out of my body, an audience as my monster took over. I had been ready to hunt and Edward – the one whose energy actually seemed to surpass the others – was my prey.

I did, though, study the looks of his siblings a bit as they peeled out of the parking lot with the driver door open and Edward hanging halfway out. There were two boys and two girls. The boys were both more muscular than Edward, the darker haired one looking as if he was actually a serious weight lifter. The blond boy had been the one shouting out the most orders, and I got the feeling that he had been a commander in another life – or maybe his human one. The females were opposite, one blonde and statuesque, the other dark haired and pixie like. I didn't get to see any other of their features before they were gone, though.

I was still berating myself as I pulled up to the house. I was glad to discover that there was no one else here at the moment, as my control was tattered to shreds. I just wouldn't be able to deal with Charlie, with anyone, at the moment. Until I got myself under control, at the very least. The fact that I would have an empty house to do so definitely made it easier than a house with anyone in it, even if it was one person.

I walked into my room, where I proceeded to regain control over myself, fully locking the monster in me behind bars. Once I was sure I had it locked up, I began thinking about the options that I had been presented with.

The first option that was pointed out to me was to speed up the plans I already had, disappearing sooner rather than later. As good of a course as that would be, I knew that I wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it, couldn't completely disappear from my parents lives with no warning. While I could easily speed up my plans, the whole point of coming here was so that I could spend some time with Charlie before I disappeared. And, strangely enough, I wasn't quite ready to disappear yet.

Which, I thought with a sigh, is why that option wasn't an option at the moment.

So, with that in mind, I turned to the second option that had been mentioned, which was me giving into what I really was. I snorted as I threw it out of my head. Like that was ever going to happen. Of course, a small part of me wondered what, if anything, Ashanti had been hiding when she mentioned vampires being he ultimate meals to our kind. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I felt as if she was hiding something from me.

I doubted, however, that it would actually affect my decision.

So, the third option, doing nothing and acting as if I was normal, was what I was going to go with. It really was the only option at the moment, until I decided to do the first one. I could not see the second option ever being one I would follow, no matter what. I would never use or harm anyone in that manner. Of course, if it just happens that it can be an equal deal... I squashed the voice before it could get any further. I think Ashanti would have mentioned if that was possible, and she hadn't. All she said was that they would try to kill me if they realized I was feeding on them.

With my decision firmly in place, I stood, grabbing my bag to begin my homework. I had to admit, I was kind of glad to know that, unlike my previous school, I didn't have to have a teacher sign a slip to prove I'd gone to the class. Having skipped my last last of the day, I doubted it would be easy for me to appear as if I had gone. Of course, I could just befuddle the coach's mind, but I really didn't think that was the best idea. While I had it, my control was still a bit tedious, and I wasn't about to tempt fate about it, which was what I would be doing if I did that.

So, instead, I went into the kitchen, grimacing at that yellow cabinets while looking through them, seeing if I could find something to make Charlie for dinner. I was dismayed to discover that they were pretty much empty. Frowning to myself as I made sure to check every cabinet, fridge, and both freezers, I found that there really wasn't anything but easy to make breakfast food, milk, eggs, bacon, bread, some juices, and a lot of fish. Thinking to myself, I noticed a jar saying 'Food Money' in the pantry. Pulling it down, I looked inside, surprised to see that it was filled at least halfway with several bills. Pulling them out showed me that Charlie at least appeared willing to buy a lot of food. The majority of what was in it was twenties and tens, with a few fives and one. Pulling it out and counting, I saw that there was plenty to do a major shopping trip.

I thought about calling Charlie, and telling him that I was going shopping, but a glance showed me that there really was only the police station number to call, and that was for emergencies only, so I decided to surprise him instead. I didn't believe that he would be upset at me, especially once I made him something. I'd learned how to cook when I was younger, mostly because Renée was a horrible cook, her food often boarding on inedible. I never viewed cooking a chore, either. I loved to cook, finding it calming to do so.

Heading back upstairs, I found a purse I could use to hold the money, going back and separating and folding it so that it was easier for me to get the amount I'd need. Then, putting the bills away, I grabbed my keys and headed back out.

---

 

Food shopping was...familiar and calming for me. The store wasn't all that crowded, and it was easy to lose myself in finding what I wanted, able to ignore everyone else around me. I filled the cart up, getting some essentials, but also grabbing a lot of healthy things. If the state of Charlie's fridge was a sign of his eating habits, then he would really need the healthy things, if only to prolong his life so that he didn't have health problems.

It was easy to ignore the cashier – who I believed was one of the other students at school – and once I'd gotten home, I had fun unloading and filling things up with the food, leaving out some things that I was going to use. I had plans of making something that would take me a while. I knew that I probably should do my homework instead, but, since I didn't sleep at night, I figured I'd do it then. After all, it would be something to do during the time I used to spend sleeping.

By the time Charlie had come home, dinner had been done for a while, and I was able to claim that I'd eaten straight when I finished, so I didn't have to eat anything. Charlie was mostly silent – he'd been surprised over this, and gladly given me the keys to the pantry after the first bite of his meal. He asked me how my first day had gone, and if I'd made any friends. I mostly avoided the questions, just saying that I got along with one of the girls better than anyone else.

I wasn't surprised when Charlie had good things to say about Angela, thought his words about Mike Newton had me rolling my eyes. He was surprised when I mentioned that I hadn't cared for Newton, since he was a good kid. Of course, he seemed to understand when I mentioned that Mike had just been overly friendly with me, to the point of annoyance. I made it clear that the kid just didn't seem to be able to think of anything to talk about but himself – of course, I didn't know if that was exactly true, as I hadn't listened to him at all. For all I knew, he had talked about the weather.

Afterward, I cleaned the dishes, wiped down the counters, and headed upstairs to take a shower before getting started on my homework, with took half-an-hour to finish. With nothing to do, I almost decided to go to the Cullen house, but was afraid to. Just the idea of going near Edward or any of his family was unpleasant. I had no desire to test my control quite yet. So, I spent another night in my bed instead of exploring the area as a part of me ached to.

It was just like the previous night, only I ended up freezing when a taste of curiosity, strong – much stronger than anything I'd get from Charlie – came running towards my house. I locked my arms to my bed, heart pounding, as it got closer, just stopping somewhere outside of the house. Every muscle in my body locked at the monster inside me began clawing at it's cage, demanding to be allowed to go after that energy, which was to close to the house for my comfort.

Thankfully, before I could give into my urge, the energy and emotion faded away, leaving. I was once again left panting as the monster seemed to whimpered pathetically at not being allowed to go after it's prey. Only one thing ran through my mind as I wondered which Cullen that was, for I knew that it hadn't been Edward: What were they doing, coming around to my house when everyone was supposed to be asleep?

---

 

The next day was a bit better. Like the day before, I dressed inconspicuously, making it seem like there was nothing cool about me, though I had the feeling that it would do me little good. I was the shiny new toy of the town. The attention was most likely going to stay on me either until someone new came along or they got used to me. Of course, as I did my ritual before leaving, I made sure to build the walls around my monster to be that much stronger. Knowing that Edward – and his family, though, again, they seemed dull compared to him – was going to be there meant that I would need to be in top shape.

I decided that I was going to make sure to stay near Angela, whose emotions had been able to distract me from those of Edward's back in biology. However, I wouldn't be drawn into her group of 'friends'. They would be the most to try and get into my mind, to want to know me, my secrets. Being around them would mean having to pretend that I didn't mind them, which was a lie. I suppose I could be blunt, but hardly those I was blunt to the previous day seemed to get the idea that I didn't want them around me.

Grabbing my bag, and slinging it over my shoulder, I left for school, eager to show that I could control myself. However, the majority of me dreaded what might happen today. It turned out that I needed have worried a much as I was, for Edward didn't come to school.

I had arrived, determined that today would be different, and ignored pretty much everyone as I walked from class to class. Only Angela was able to get into my little circle, and I concentrated on keeping a focus on her so that I didn't attack anyone. Unlike yesterday, now that I was aware of them, I could taste the Cullens on my tongue a bit better, and I made sure that I never came closer to them than a few feet, using their emotions as a sort of warning for when I was too close. I did notice, though, that there seemed to be something missing from it, and, I only realized what when it came lunch time.

I contemplated going to the library for lunch as I came close to the cafeteria, tasting that the Cullens were there, but realized that I couldn't hide out there at every lunch and that I shouldn't get into the habit of even trying to do so. Plus, perhaps, I could build a better resistance if I allowed my self to be a bit closer to them than I already was. It was sure to help my self-control than running away would, and I was reasonably sure that I could find a seat as far as possible from them, that wouldn't end up being surrounded by others.

Entering the cafeteria, I checked to see where the Cullens were at, immediately noticing that there were only four of the five that should be here. Edward wasn't there, I knew that immediately. I remembered what he looked like from the almost accident the previous day, when I'd almost gotten him to come to me. I wondered if, perhaps, whatever it was that had made him hate me was the reason why he wasn't there. Had he left? Or was he still around, trying to come up with enough control for himself to face me? I knew that something had effected him the way he had me. It was the only explanation for him reacting the way he did that I could come up with.

Either way, I kind of hoped he would stay away as long as possible – maybe even until I left – if only so I could keep my sanity and control intact. Yet, there was a small part of me that also wanted him to come back, not so I could eat him, but so I get to know it. I didn't even know why I wanted to get to know him. I had only looked at him once, mostly trying to get him to come to me, and, other than the fact that he was handsome, I couldn't think of why I'd have any reason to want to get to know him.

After getting something small to eat, I started looking for a table on the other end of where the Cullens were sitting. I saw that they were all looking at me as I looked, their curiosity evident on my tongue, covering the other students' emotions when I noticed them looking. I quickly turned my mind towards Angela as I saw Mike trying to get my attention from a table several feet away from the Cullen one.

“You know, you can go sit with them if you prefer,” I told Angela as I started heading toward the empty table I spotted that was as far from the Cullens as I was going to get.

“I know, but I really don't feel like it,” she whispered back, following me. I ignored as Mike shouted across the room, trying to get my attention, though it caused the cafeteria to go silent for a moment. When the noise began again, I heard Angela giggle a bit as we sat down.

“Oh, that was strange,” she said. “I don't think I've ever heard the cafeteria go that silent before, at least not for something like that.”

“Lucky me,” I said sarcastically.

“Can I ask you something?” she said. I was tempted to be a smart ass and say that she just did, but nodded instead.

“Well, I was just wondering why you didn't want to sit with Mike and them,” she told me.

“Because I don't want them to hope,” I told her. “If I had sat with them, it would appear that I liked one of them, and they would believe that they could ask me out. At least, that's how it was back at my old school. I'm not one to date much, though, and, really, none of them look all that appealing to me.”

“Oh,” she said, and then she started eating. I mostly picked at my food, feeling eyes on me, some resentful, some curious. I didn't have to look to know which emotion went to which pair of eyes. It was when I was ready to leave that something changed. I froze as I felt one of the vampire's emotions grow a bit stronger, as if they were coming closer to me. A quick glance showed that one of the girl's – the one that looked like a pixie – was heading in my direction. I took a short bit to study her, noticing that she had the strange gold eyes Ashanti had been amazed at and a short haircut, and realized that she seemed to be focused on actually coming to me, to talk to me. At least, I suspected that she wanted to talk.

I panicked, turning back to Angela, who looked up and hadn't seem to notice that I had been looking somewhere else. She caught sight of the girl from over my shoulder.

“What's Alice Cullen doing?” she asked, confused. I noticed that the cafeteria was starting to go silent as they saw her, and I knew that was she was doing was unusual.

“I'm going to go ahead and head to Biology,” I told Angela, standing up.

“I'll come with. I'm done anyway,” Angela said, doing the same. I quickly led us out before Alice could get to us, and I could taste her confusion as she saw us. The other students seemed confused as well, though I don't think they realized that I was leaving to avoid her – there would be some interest in their confusion, more than there already was, if they figured that out. At least, I assumed that there would be more. I honestly didn't know how the Cullens acted; maybe they were more open to talking than I was assuming. But then, the fact that she had caused the cafeteria to go silent...

“Hey, Angela, whose Alice Cullen?” I asked.

“Oh, she's the girl who was actually walking in our direction before we decided to leave,” Angela said.

“Why did the room go quiet?” I asked. “I mean, it's not uncommon for someone to go see someone else at a different table, is it?”

“Normally, no, but, well, Alice...her entire family, actually, usually keeps to themselves,” Angela said.

“Family?” I said.

“Yeah, there's five of them. Um, I don't know if you saw them when we entered, but there are two blonds and the rest have a darker hair color,” Angela said. She then gave me the 'low down' on who was who, letting me know that the blonds were Jasper and Rosalie Hale – twins who were Mrs. Cullen's niece and nephew – and that the others were Emmett, Alice, and, of course, Edward Cullen. She made mention that Edward was actually my biology partner, though, as she continued, he wasn't there in the cafeteria.

I nodded, pretending I didn't know that Edward was my partner, while dreading Biology. Just because he wasn't there in the cafeteria didn't mean that he wasn't here today at all. Luckily, after the lesson started and he didn't come in later after ten minutes, I was able to relax. Mike, who came in too late to hang around my desk, was sending me desolated looks from his seat, his sadness evident on my tongue. I rolled my eyes, wondering how he got the idea that I would want to do anything with him. I know that I never showed any sign of liking him the day before, yet you'd think I'd told him that I would go on a date with him and was now blowing him off.

After gym, which I went to – Coach Clapp was easy to calm and get him not be mad for me skipping the previous day – on my way to my truck, I began to feel the intensely overwhelming curiosity that I was beginning to associate with the Cullens. I looked over, careful not to meet a pair of eyes, to see them all looking at me, next to a large jeep. I realized that they weren't just curious of me, for there were also other emotions coming from them. Alice seemed a bit sad, while the one Angela describe to me as being Rosalie, held the most hostile emotions. I had a feeling that she didn't like me for having run her brother away, as it seemed to be the case. Or maybe she didn't like the fact that he had seemed drawn to me the previous day. I really didn't give a care for whether she did or not, as my life was a bit better without him around.

Because I was used to the curiosity, and Rosalie's hostile emotions along with their seemingly dull energy compared to Edward's, it was easy for me to keep in control of my monster. Of course, that didn't mean I wanted to stay around them for a long while. My control was getting better, so long as they stayed away from me, but I knew that, sooner of later, they would want to talk to me, maybe find out what was strange about me, as I knew they just had to have realized that there was something about me that wasn't human.

At least, that's what I figured Alice had been coming over to me to talk about, during lunch. I couldn't think of another reason for it, after all., as I drove home to repeat what would become my routine when there.

The rest of the week followed in that vein, though Alice never tried to come near me again during lunch, and none of them came near my house again after the last time. I was able to stay in the cafeteria the entire time each day, and enjoyed talking to Angela the few times she wanted to. I found out, by accident, that she had a crush on one of our classmates, a Ben Cheney. He seemed okay – unlike with the others of the school, he didn't jump interest in other girls. And he was interested in Angela as well, but, like with her, there was the fear of rejection coming from him. I was wondering if there was anything I could to do get them together.

It was easy to tell that I was beginning to make some semblance of a life here.

I couldn't help but wonder about Edward as the end of the week came. I never saw his car in the parking lot in the mornings, though I did see the jeep. I began to use that as my indication of whether he was there or not, and, when my second week in Forks came, I was a bit relieved that it stayed gone from the lot. On my second weekend there, during the night, I finally left my room to explore. I hadn't before, because, though the Cullens never seemed to come by the house at all, I didn't want to not be there if they did. I was sure they would notice something wrong if I wasn't there.

I didn't go near the Cullen house. Instead, I explored everywhere else, finding a strange scent when I hit near a certain place in the forest. I could also smell the stale scents of the Cullens, taking them all in so that I could try and identify them later. Though the scents had a sweet smell to them that was all the same, there were hints of individual scents to them. If I ever got close to the Cullens, I may be able to tell which scent was which.

The start of my third week finally arrived. I did my morning ritual in my bedroom, for I could taste that Charlie was still home when I got up. He looked at me as I came down the stairs. I was surprised to see that he was still here, and wondered why.

“I'm going to be late in coming home today,” he told me as we both left the house. “A guard down in Mason Country was killed by an animal yesterday.”

“An animal?” I said, sounding a bit surprised.

“Your not in Phoenix anymore, Bells,” he told me as he got into his cruiser. I nodded, getting into my truck myself and driving towards school. I expected today to be just like the last two weeks. However, when I got to the parking lot, I immediately discovered that I was wrong and that today would be different in a way, for the silver Volvo that I hadn't seen since my first day here was sitting in a parking space, the one usually occupied by the Cullens' jeep. Edward was back.

A dreaded feeling ran through me as I, stupidly, started to search for Edward, finding him quickly. I think, after I fight myself not to go after him – thankfully, since his siblings were a lot like him in energy, it wasn't much work – that I was actually hoping that he wasn't there. I thought that, perhaps, the Cullens either had another car like it, or that he had come back but decided to stay home. Of course, a large part of me knew that my hopes would be dashed. There was no reason to switch from which car they used, as the jeep had been going fine in being used.

The dreaded feeling became even stronger when, on the way to lunch, I walked out the door to discover that it was snowing. Groaning lightly, I hurried to the cafeteria, holding my binder just in case someone decided to target, Angela on my heels doing the same. Neither of us were very interested in being hit. I guess still being slightly popular as the new girl worked in my favor for this thing – no one even seemed interested in trying to hit me. That, or they just didn't notice me.

“Oh, thank god I decided to stick with you,” Angela said jokingly as he we entered the cafeteria. I nodded, my mouth immediately going on fire, letting me know that Edward was in the room. I didn't get much to eat, just a bottle of cold water and an apple that I most likely would end up throwing into my bag because I wouldn't be eating it. I felt a bit sick from the butterflies in my stomach at knowing that Edward was here. I think Angela noticed that I didn't look too good, but I shook her off when she asked if I wanted to go to the nurse.

We walked to the table that I'd claimed as my own, stifling a giggle as Angela blushed and looked away when she accidentally caught Ben's eye on the way over. Once I sat down, I did my automatic glance towards the Cullen table, knowing that Edward would be sitting there. I already knew it, based on the fire in my mouth. I inwardly groaned as I remembered the fact that he was my biology partner as I laid my head on the table. The peace I had in that class while he was gone was now going to be shattered.

I wonder if I should just skip biology today...

Chapter Text

Bella’s Point of View

---

 

I was definitely learning towards it, and I knew that I looked bad enough to get away with it, if the concerned glances from Angela were any indication. I knew that it would be the easier if I did, since I didn't feel ready to face Edward quite yet. Sure, I hadn't tried to eat him since I walked in, but that was because we were on opposite ends of the cafeteria at the moment. In class, we'd be seated right next to each other.

However, the logical side of me interfered in my thinking. It would do me no good to skip, as I would just have to go to class tomorrow and the next day, and the next. I couldn't skip every day, no matter how much I wished I could. And I was able to ignore the increased emotions of his family when in the cafeteria. I could, no, I would ignore it when in the classroom.

Of course, my irrational side, the one that wanted me to skip, had to argue that I'd never gone out of my way to be near them, since I didn't want to lose control. Sitting right next to Edward in class would definitely make the hunger worse. Since I'd vetoed skipping class, I realized that I would have to do something to keep myself in control while in class. I wonder...

I turned towards him and his siblings again, my face contemplating. I saw that they had obviously been enjoying the snow, what with the smiles of delight on their faces. As I watched, Emmett leaned over to where Rosalie and Alice were sitting, and shook the snow out of his hair. They shrieked in surprise, while the other two laughed. I couldn't help the half smile that crossed my face at the scene. It looked nice, to be able to get that close to someone without problems.

However, there was one small problem with the scene as well. It look too perfect to be real, like something from a movie or a magazine. I figured that it had to do with the fact that they weren't human, though I did wonder a bit if, perhaps, they knew that people would be looking at them. I mean, if they did know that, it made sense that they would at least try to look like normal teens.

I mentally shook my head, remembering what I'd actually turned to look at them for. My eyes quickly went to Edward, and I noticed that there was something different about him. He seemed...freer, less tense. Though it hurt, I did a quick taste of his emotions, which reflected the joy on his face. It could have been because I wasn't anywhere nearby – I hadn't forgotten his reaction to me, the hatred that had radiated from him and helped my keep control – but, somehow, it seemed to be more than that.

However, his emotions and look did seem to tell me that he wasn't as worried about sitting next to me as I was him. I continued to study his face, seeing that there was something off about it compared to the last time I saw it.

“Bella?” Angela's soft voice broke through my thoughts, and I saw Edward's face turning towards me, allowing me to isolate what was different about it before I turned by head away, not wanting to accidentally cause a scene because our eyes happened to make contact with each other. His eyes, which had been as black as a moonless night that looked striking against his skin, were now the golden colors that his siblings had, thought it was even brighter than theirs. I looked towards Angela while keeping a line of thought on Edward's emotions.

“Hmm,” I asked her. I wasn't really paying much attention to her, instead concentrating on the changes that Edward went through. He mostly seemed curious, though there was a bit of frustration with it. However, he didn't seem to hate me, just a bit apprehensive to be around me as I was him. Yet his emotions didn't seem to give me a reason to skip biology today.

I saw Angela look over my shoulder, towards the Cullen table herself. “It looks as if Edward is back,” she said. “I wonder why he was gone so long?”

“He didn't look so good after school that day,” I told her. “Perhaps he's just been sick these last few weeks.”

“Perhaps,” she said, going back to the book she'd been reading. The rest of lunch passed in silence, a comfortable silence, as it usually did. As I knew I'd do, I ended up putting the apple into my bad once Angela was ready to go to class. Edward was still with his siblings, though I noted, as we left the cafeteria, that his emotions shifted, nervousness taking over them. I worked hard to keep the smile off my face. It was nice to know that I wasn't the only one worried about what might happen in class this time around.

It was actually raining instead of snowing, which was washing away the bit of snow that there had been. Those who were also heading to their classes all groaned as I gave a secret smile while pulling my hood up. I had heard, in the cafeteria, that a few people were planning to have a snowball fight after school, and had originally been planning on making sure I wasn't anywhere near it when it happened.

I didn't make an excuse to Angela, as I'd been ready to, after seeing Edward's face. Since he didn't look like he couldn't handle not being in the room as me, I would go. I ignored the little voice in my head – not the voice that I considered to be the monster, but the other, more human one – that said the I just wanted to be near him, that I was a bit attracted to him. I didn't really know where it got that idea from, considering that I barely knew him. It just didn't make sense to me that I would be attracted to him and want to be around him that quickly. Although, he was really handsome...

I shook my head, banishing that thought, and entered the room with Angela, seeing that Mr. Banner was placing microscopes and slides onto each of the tables. Sliding into my seat, I pulled out my book, placing it on the edge of the table. I did my best to ignore as Edward's emotions came closer – I knew that he'd left the cafeteria not long after we had, and his emotions had been a distance away from us, but still there on the walk here.

I immediately knew when he passed the threshold of the door. The small, steady burn in my mouth became a full flamed inferno as he came closer, and I tensed, my hands gripping the table. Even though his emotions were calmer than before, they still burned me, and my control was immediately put to a test. I didn't look at him as he sat down, making noise with his stool, as I was trying to keep my control. I took a few deep breaths to get used to the inferno, glad that his emotions were calmer, for they weren't as bad as they could have been. My mouth actually felt strange, like it was burning, but, at the same time, it was being cooled down as well.

“Hello,” a quiet, musical voice said, startling me a bit from thinking about my burning mouth. I immediately, without thought, turned to look at him, only remembering at the last second not to make complete eye contact with him. I instead roved his body, studying his body language. Both his body and face were open, and he wore a small, friendly smile, but I knew that it was a lie. His emotions were on the extreme with the nervousness, and, with the small, teeny glance I took towards his eyes, I could tell that he was going to be guarded in what he said.

I frowned at him, well, not really at him. I was more frowning at the fact that he was a lot older than he looked. The guarded look in his eyes, to keep me from using them to find any secrets, was a trick that Ashanti was able to do, and had perfected. It was something that apparently came with age in this world. I knew that, while I was betting quite a bit better at lying and hiding, I was still quite the open book compared to her, and Edward, it seemed.

“My name is Edward Cullen,” he continued, though he looked a bit apprehensive now after seeing my frown. I quickly wiped it away from my face, letting it fall into a politely listening face. “I didn't have a chance to introduce myself before, as I wasn't feeling good. You must be Bella Swan.”

If I didn't know what his emotions were right now, I know I would be completely confused right now. With the perfectly polite way he was acting now, I would have thought that I had made a mistake and had imagined the whole thing. But I knew what his emotions were right now, and I could see that he was most likely hoping that I would forget about what happened that first day. It was an unlikely event, though I did find it funny that he was using the excuse I told Angela. It seemed to be too much of a coincidence that he would say he wasn't feeling well after I mentioned that he had seemed sick to her, where he could hear. Of course, that was only assuming that they had the same hearing I did.

He cleared his throat, and I realized that he was most likely waiting for me to say something. The burning in the back of my mouth had begun to intensify, and I swallowed uselessly, trying to diffuse the burn. I also couldn't think of anything conversational to say.

“H-how do you know my name?” I stammered out the first thing that came to mind, and then mentally smacked myself. It was such a stupid question to ask. Even if he hadn't been here the past two weeks, everybody here as school had known my preferred name to be called. Even – and this was only assuming, as I hadn't asked what special features the vampires were equipped with – if he didn't have super hearing, he most likely would have heard about it, as someone had pretty much gone around letting people know this. I knew for a fact that, by lunchtime, everyone knew what to call me.

However, even with that, it was a valid question to ask. The only reason I even knew that someone had done that was because I'd heard the whisperings about it. If I was human, it made sense for me to wonder about it. Of course, he could have easily been told my one of his siblings as well, which also erased the validity of the question.

He laughed, a soft, enchanting laugh. “Oh, I think everyone here knows your name,” he said. “The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive.”

I grimaced at that, though I wasn't surprised. I already knew that it was true, and the confirmation wasn't needed. Though, I realized, it did make sense on how everyone knew that I was Isabella Swan instead of just Bella. Charlie often tended to introduce me using my full name.

“I know,” I said. “I wasn't thinking...although, you do have to admit it was a valid question. I mean, why did you call me Bella?”

He seemed confused, and I wondered if he had realized he'd made a mistake. “Do you prefer Isabella?” he asked.

Apparently he didn't I thought to myself, knowing that he would realize it soon enough.

“No,” I said. “I like Bella. But I think Charlie, I mean, my dad must have been calling me Isabella behind my back. That's what everyone here seemed to know me as, and if you were going off of that information...” I didn't need to finish. While I felt like a moron saying it out loud, I could tell by the small change of awareness that entered his emotions that he realized his mistake.

“Oh,” he said, not offering anything else, and letting the subject drop after that. I shook my head at him. It seemed he was a bit of idiot. I mean, he had an easy way of fixing that, too. Unfortunately, before I could say anything – not that I was about to say something bad, I was just about to ask if one of his siblings might have mentioned it – Mr. Banner started the class.

I tried to concentrate as he explained what we were going to be doing today, but the effort in keeping myself in control made it hard. Luckily, I did catch some words, I knew I could do it without problems, having done this lab back at my old school. I put away my book once I'd heard that we weren't to use them, and managed to catch that we had twenty minutes to fill in the worksheet he passed out before he would start walking around to see how everyone was doing.

“Get started,” he commanded.

“Ladies first, partner?” Edward asked. I looked up, only getting as far as his mouth, which was cocked into a crooked smile, before I stopped. I couldn't help but stare like a complete idiot. For a moment, I actually forgot that I was a succubus and felt as if he was trying to use the Draw on me, only with his mouth instead of his eyes. That smile had to be illegal, considering how it scrambled my brain.

“Or I could start, if you wish.” The smile faded; his curiosity rose. I quickly blinked, bringing my mind back to the task at hand. I almost raised my eyes to his, but stopped myself before I did, and reached for the microscope, taking it before he did.

“No, I'll go ahead,” I said, blood flowing to my cheeks. I must've made him think I was an idiot for the way I just stared at his lips. Grabbing the first slide, I placed it under the microscope, mostly for appearances sake, as I could tell what it was without actually looking at it through the microscope. I only took the barest glace at it, reaching for the paper.

“Prophase,” I said, grabbing my pen, and going to write it down.

“Do you mind if I look?” Edward asked, his hand coming up to stop me and caught mine before I could write the answer down. I gasped, unable to stop myself from jerking my fingers away from his. I hadn't quite been expecting that they would be ice-cold, but that wasn't what had surprised me. I felt like I'd been stung by some electric current that had jumped from his hand to my own.

“Sorry,” he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. He grabbed the microscope, while I stared at him. Did he feel it? The only thing I could get from his emotions was a strong feeling a remorse, something that I figured to be because of his skin temperature, not the shock. Unless he knew why I'd been shocked...

I shook my head, writing down what the slide was on the worksheet while he took a look. I didn't bother to wait until he saw what it was. There was no reason to.

“Prophase,” he agreed, seeing that I was already writing it down. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.

“Anaphase,” he murmured, reaching for the worksheet.

“May I?” I asked, keeping my voice indifferent. He smirked, and pushed the microscope back to me. I think he suspected that I wanted to try and prove him wrong. I didn't – since I'd already figured that he was a lot older than he looked, I doubted that he hadn't done this lab before. Of course, I would still look at the slide, just to make sure, but not the way he expected me to.

I took the slide from it, seeing that he was right as I handed it to him, as he'd kind of moved the box out of my reach when he grabbed the second slide.

“Third slide, please,” I said. He looked a bit surprised that I hadn't checked it as he thought I would, as well as slightly disappointed. I think he wanted to see if I would attempt to prove him wrong. He took the slide from me, placing it back into the box before handing me the third one; he was careful, as if he wanted to make sure that our skin did not touch again. After setting the slide onto the microscope, I took another fleeting glance.

“Interphase,” I mutter, taking the paper from him to write it down. I noticed that he had some really nice handwriting as I did so. He let me while he took the microscope, replacing the slide without looking at it. He either got a look at it when he had it in his hand, or he decided to take a page from my book and trust that I was right. We went back and forth for a while, until we were done. A quick look around showed that we were the first to finish. I looked around, seeing that everyone else was still struggling; most groups were cheating by having their books open under the table. I rolled my eyes at that.

With nothing else to do, I had nothing to keep me from staring at him, though I did try not to. I was proving to be rather unsuccessful about it. Finally, reminding myself that I just had to keep from making eye contact, I gave in, looking up and coming as close to looking into his eyes as I dared doing. He was staring at me already, a look of inexplicable frustration in his eyes. I thought about mentioning his eyes, how they were a different color, but decided not to. Not only was there really no way I could know what color they really were – I was too far away that Monday, at a distance that no human would have been able to see them as clearly as I did – but I doubted he'd actually be truthful about them to me.

Mr. Banner came towards us then, and I automatically turned toward him as he reached our table. He glanced at the completed lab, then took the worksheet, staring intently to check the answers.

“So, Edward, did you have Isabella write some of these answers so that it looked like she participated in the lab?” he asked, his voice heavy with disapproval. My mouth fell open at his obvious dismissal of the idea that I actually might know what I was doing.

“Bella,” Edward corrected automatically. “And no, I didn't. In fact, I have the feeling that, if I wasn't here, she could have done the whole lab herself.”

Mr. Banner looked skeptical at me. I glared at him, angered now. I could tell I frightened him with my glare – he blanched, then looked away, clearing his throat.

“Have you done this lab before?” he asked.

I nodded. “I did it with the whitefish blastula, though,” I answered, still glaring at him.

“Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. He was silent for a moment as he placed the worksheet down onto the table.

“Well,” he finally said, “I guess it's a good thing you two are lab partners.”

He hurried away, though I heard him mumble “So the other students will have a chance at doing this on their own,” as he walked away. I began rummaging through my bag for something to do, though I hadn't thought a head of time to pack anything.

It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?” Edward said, distracting me from my search. I was a but surprised he'd said something, and wondered if he was forcing himself to talk to me, but also like he couldn't figure out what to say. I also remembered a short conversation I'd had with Angela, before we'd gotten to the cafeteria, where she had heard me when I'd gone 'Eww' once I saw the snow. I'd told her what I'd thought of it, and that I really didn't care for her. But there was no way he could have heard that. We'd been clear across campus at the time, far away from the cafeteria for him to hear us, as we had been speaking in low tones. And I knew he wasn't anywhere near us at the time, either. I would have tasted his emotions.

I wonder if there was something about him that Ashanti hadn't mentioned to me. Or, perhaps, there was something about his that Ashanti didn't know. I mean, she couldn't know everything from watching him, could she? Of course, it wasn't as if I would really be able to find out; I had no desire to ever see her again, and, since she knew that, she's probably do what she did when if Phoenix, and stay away from me. Of course, I knew that she would probably still be watching me, but I was willing to ignore that little fact.

“Not really,” I said honestly. I might as well appease his sudden need to speak; I had nothing better to do.

“You don't care much for the cold.” It came out more of a statement rather than a question, and I instantly became on guard. It wasn't really true, at least, not anymore.

“Or the wet,” I said cautiously, telling him something that had been true as a human while wondering where he might be going with what he was saying.

“Then Forks must be a difficult place for you to live in,” he said.

“You have no idea,” I muttered darkly, in a tone that I hadn't meant for him to hear. After all, since meeting him, Forks definitely had become difficult to live in. Not that he knew that, of course. I could tell that he had heard what I said, a fascinated look coming to his face.

“Why did you come here then?” he asked. I don't know why, but a part of me seemed to have expected him to answer like that after he heard what I'd said. I could just imagine why he was asking it, if his hatred of me that Monday was anything to go by. I was still a bit startled, though. No one had asked me that yet, and no one had said anything straight out like it, actually demanding the answer.

“It's...complicated,” I said, trying to convey the fact that I didn't want to talk about it, though I doubted he would actually get the hint. I began thinking of a semi-story to tell him just in case my feelings proved correct. After all, I wasn't about to tell him the truth, as that would involve telling him what I was. It wasn't a subject to say in a classroom, particularly since it would probably lead to what he was as well. I could just imagine what would happen if one of the other students heard that we were mythical creatures.

“I think I can keep up,” he pressed, just as I figured he would.

“My mother got remarried,” I blurted out, completely without thought. That was not was what I was going to say, but I suppose, thinking about it, it was better than what I was actually going to say. I would have probably messed up, as it would be hitting to close to the truth had I actually said it. “I figured that she would like to spend more quality time with her new husband.”

“And she couldn't do that with you there?” he asked.

“Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living,” I explained, quickly adding, “Strictly minor league,” when I saw him open his mouth. “He has to move around a lot. Since I'm in school, my mother had to stay home with me, and it cut into the time she had to spend with him. So, I voluntarily sent myself here. Figured that it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie.” My voice sounded a bit glum as I said that, as if I hated the fact that I was spending time with Charlie, which couldn't have been further from the truth.

“But now you're unhappy,” he pointed out. “That doesn't seem to be very fair.”

“Hasn't anyone told you? Life isn't fair,” I retorted. “Besides, there's a benefit to living here. No one knows about my accident, or the fact that the doctor...” I ended that with a groan. Of course, even after deciding I wouldn't tell him, I still manage to do so. Damn it, I really hadn't meant to say that. For some reason, something about him just made me want to say things about myself that I knew I shouldn't. Maybe it was because he was a supernatural creature like I was; maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, I knew I would have to be careful in the future, particularly when around others. After all, others, humans to be more precise, were not allowed to know.

That was one of the first things Ashanti had drummed into my head: never tell anyone you don't plan on killing what you are. Secrecy is the key rule to being a succubus.

I tasted horror in Edward's emotions as what I'd said filtered through his mind.

“What accident?” he immediately asked. I looked at him sharply as his emotions mixed with fear and worry – not a good taste, I had to work on keeping my face from showing that little fact – followed by a strong dose of confusion. It looked like I wasn't the only one wondering about his emotions.

“Just a little car accident,” I said. I looked away, ignoring him a bit as my mind thought about the memory of it. What I didn't tell him was the fact that it hadn't exactly been little – being hit by a semi truck was anything but little. And the accident was more than just that: it had been the one that I should have died from, but instead left the scene having escaped my brush with death as something that was anything but human.

“What did the doctor do?” Edward asked, seeming to realize that I didn't want to talk about my accident. Of course, he caught where I'd trailed off, and just had to ask about it. I could tell by his tone that he was expecting something bad.

“It's nothing,” I said. “He just ended up having a heart attack when he was checking on me. I ended up waking up with him sprawled on my bed dead.”

He nodded, and I decided that it was time to change the subject, before he got it into his head to ask me about the accident again.

“So, when did you get contacts?” I asked. I knew that I should try to think of something else to ask, but I kind of wanted the conversation to be completely over. Now that we'd hit upon a subject I just wasn't comfortable with – particularly since the one had allowed Ashanti to turn me, while the other reminded me of the person I'd killed as my first meal – the burn that he caused seemed to roar to life again.

He seemed a bit puzzled by my sudden question. “I didn't get contacts,” he said.

“Oh. Your eyes were black when I saw you the last time. “I was just wondering about the change,” I said lightly. He shrugged and looked away, acting like he had when he'd been told he made a mistake before. I had a feeling that pointing out that I'd noticed they eye color change was a good idea, as it got him to stop talking, and made sure that I didn't say anything else that I didn't want him knowing about. Of course, it seemed that his silence was his choice, for Mr. Banner called the class into order mere seconds later. I turned to listen, a bit relieved that Edward wouldn't recover his wits and try to dig into my mind again. Well, in truth, I didn't actually listen, for Mr. Banner was just going over larger representations of the slides on an overhead projector, and telling the others what they'd should have been looking for, something I really didn't need. So, instead, I watched Edward from the corner of my eye, monitoring his emotions. On my tongue, thought it wasn't all that pleasant.

He was tense, his hands now clenching the table as he leaned away from me. His hunger was flaring again. I realized that, when we'd been talking, it had been pushed away slightly, like my own. No, that wasn't right. It had still been there, but...I don't know, it had been muted, our conversation obviously more interesting to him – and me – than our mutual hunger for each other. Our talking had been a distraction, one that worked a lot better than even I would have thought.

I just might have to figure out how to make sure that happened in every class possible, if it was able to block out my hunger for him. Of course, I'd have to figure out safer topics to talk about – I'd told him too much, more than I really wanted to. I knew that, if I had let him, I probably would have told him more than even my immediate family knew. Besides, it wasn't actually fair that he knew more about me than I did him. I resolved that, the next day, it would be his turn for show and tell.

Mr. Banner finished talking just as the bell rang, and I was relieved about the fact that there was no time to talk to Edward. Just because I wanted to get to know him didn't mean that I was ready to do so at the moment. I'd need to make a list of what I wanted to know about him so that I could ask, otherwise I knew that I'd end up steering myself into questions that I couldn't ask in a classroom. Plus, even though he was a supernatural creature like myself, he was still dangerous. Ashanti's warning did penetrate my mind. If I chose to feed from him, he could end up killing me. And it was dangerous because his emotions tasted as if he'd additive, like a drug could be. If I lost control for just a second, I'd lip lock with him, giving in to my monster. And I didn't want to give in to my monster.

The monster was disappointed that it hadn't been able to make me fall. I was also a bit disappointed because I really did want to get to know Edward a bit more. But, as I'd already decided, the next day would be my turn to ask him questions. I ignored the fact that this was actually dangerous – the more I got to know him, the more I'd probably want to be around him.

And that was something that I shouldn't want.

---

 

For the first time since arriving here, I didn't say in my room at night. I was anxious, feeling claustrophobic, and completely bored of staying in my room, as I'd done every day of the last few weeks. And I kind of felt like celebrating the fact that I'd made it through a day without trying to entice Edward, like I'd done the last time. However, I didn't want to run into Ashanti, or the Cullens, so I couldn't exactly hang around town. I ended up heading towards Port Angeles, to a bar, in truth. It was really the only place that was still open at the moment, and I wouldn't have trouble getting something to drink. It would only take a little charm from me.

It was easy for me to get a beer, the bartender not even asking to see my ID when he looked at me. Cinnamon and sugar flowed over my tongue as he looked my up and down, joining with the other men in the place. I realized that it was stupid of me coming here as I went to a darkened corner, trying to ignore everyone else. I'd forgotten that I was still hungry, hungry for something that regular food couldn't satisfy.

I tried to ignore the emotions around me, going back to the bar for another beer, and then another, until the desire and attraction just got to be too much for me. I quickly paid the bartender, walking out and heading towards the edge of the woods. Unfortunately, one of the guys from inside followed me. I clenched my fist, knowing that I couldn't walk any faster without trouble – if I did, he'd have to be killed for having seen me.

“Hey,” the guy called, walking a bit quicker to catch up to me. “Hey, wait up.”

He finally managed to catch up, stepping front of me to cut me off. I stopped, frowning at him. He was cute, with red hair and blue eyes, but he definitely wasn't my type. However, it seemed that I was his, based on the way he was looking at me. I didn't hear him as he introduced himself, showing that I was clearly uncomfortable with him. He didn't get the message.

“Excuse me, but I,” I started to say, fed up with the fact that he was ignoring the fact that I didn't want to be there. However, before I could get anything else out of my mouth, he surprised me, grabbing my face and smashing his lips against mine, his hands immediately grabbing me around the waist and groping at my ass. In my shock as my body immediately began pulling his energy into me, I lost a hold of the monster in me, who immediately pushed me out of the way, and began to kiss back.

It parted my lips from him, looking his straight into the eye and causing him to lose all inhibitions before pushing him against a tree, attaching my lips to him again. I couldn't help it; I moaned, the energy transfer feeling like ecstasy running through me. I forgot that I hadn't wanted this, forgot that it would kill. All I cared about was that the hunger in me was finally, finally, disappearing with each pull of his energy. And then...it stopped, and his body dropped like a rock at my feet.

It took me a few minutes for my mind to catch up to me, and what I'd just done. The monster crowed, practically dancing with glee before disappearing to the point that it didn't seem like it had ever been there to begin with. The gnawing hunger that had followed me since I began refusing to feed properly as the energy from my first victim waned disappeared, no longer bothering me. And I immediately felt sickened and tears beginning to blur my eyes as I looked at the blank face of my newest victim.

I gasped, stumbling back in horror, hitting another tree and sliding down it, ignoring as my shirt rose and the bark scraped against my skin. Sobs broke free of me as I rocked back and forth, disgusted and hating myself. It was a while before I could do anything, and it was only the sound of fighting back inside the bar that got me moving. I had to hide the body, hide it so well that there was no way anyone would find it, unless they'd searched forever for it. I hoped that no one saw him leaving with me, that he wasn't a permanent resident of this town, but I wasn't hopeful. His breath had smelled and tasted drunk, so, unless there was a motel nearby, he probably lived on one of the houses I could see within walking distance. I'd hopefully be lucky that no one would get concerned if he couldn't disappeared for a few days.

I got control of my self, standing on shaking legs and picking the body up to throw over my shoulder. I brought it with me into the woods, finding a spot pretty deep to bury him. Dirt and muck covered my hands and dug a grave for him with my bare hands. I didn't even think to get a shovel from somewhere. I just felt, just knew that it had to be done this way. I had to dig the grave myself. He deserved that much at the very least. Once I had it deep enough, I put the corpse into it, covering it so well that there was actually no way to tell that he was there. Then, I ran home, hoping that I'd be able to forget that I'd done this, as unlikely as it was; I hadn't even forgotten my first victim, the one who had 'sealed by transformation' so to speak.

The ringing tone of murderer, murderer, murderer ran though my mind, repeating itself over and over so many time that I threw on my earphones, turning the music up as loud as it would go, just hoping that I could drown it out. It worked to a point, but the whispering was still there, repeating itself over and over as the light of a new day began to creep upon me, shining through the clouds into my room.

I turned off my CD player, hearing as Charlie left before getting up, groaning as I did so. I still had school, and I wondered exactly how I could go, and act normal when the thoughts of the murder I had committed were still floating through my mind. It was after I'd showered, almost rubbing my skin raw as I cleansed the dirt from it, among other things, that I realized that there would be a problem. I just happened to catch sight of myself in the mirror, and immediately noticed that I looked different, healthier. My skin was just slightly pinker, glowing ever so slightly, and I looked a lot more alluring that I should. My breath caught in my throat; I looked like I'd had a good night of sex, and somehow managed to become a slight nightlight all in one. I couldn't go out like this, couldn't let others see me looking like this.

Sighing, I grabbed the clothes I'd brought into the bathroom, not even bothering to change into them. Drying myself as best as I could, I stripped my bed of the dirt cover sheets, laying a dry towel down before crawling onto it. I wasn't going to school today, not looking like this. I wondered how long I would have to stay in before the glow left. That was the main thing that scared me, the fact that I was literally glowing from the energy intake I'd had. Is this was what would happen if I had kissed Edward? I couldn't help but wonder why I glowed. I mean, she never did. Then again, she always fed on a regular basis.

I sighed again, turning on my side before catching sight of my still opened door. I jumped out of the bed, slamming it shut before locking it, and then went around my room, closing all the windows and curtains. If Charlie found out that I hadn't gone to school, I'd tell him I was sick.

I hoped that, by the time I would be ready to go back to school, I would have been about to get used to the fact that I had killed someone.

---

 

“Bella, are you still unwell?” I heard Charlie's voice ask through my closed door. I hadn't unlocked it while he was hear, simply talking to him through it and pretending that I was sick. I told him that I just wanted to be left alone doing that time, something that he seemed to understand. Like him, when I got sick, I hated to have people hover over me. And, while I didn't usually lock the door, it hadn't bothered him all that much. He knew that I was getting a bit better. As the glow that I'd worried about began to taper off in the last day and a half, I did some things around the house as I would if I was beginning to feel better, though I did nothing that would arouse his suspicions. I could tell that Dad was only asking now because he'd come home to a good meal on the table, my signal that I was feeling a bit better.

I could tell, by the look of my skin, that, come the next day, the glow would be gone. I'd still look healthier and alluring, but it would have the look as if I'd had satisfying sex, and I'd no longer glow. Those two were the most important things to make sure I didn't have in my mind.

“I'm feeling better,” I said. “In fact, I'll probably be good enough to go to school tomorrow.”

That was a lie – I really didn't want to go – but staying here alone wasn't helping me at all. I couldn't get distracted enough to get the face of the guy I'd killed out of my mind. He'd joined with the other one, and the two would go back and forth in my mind, blurring from one to the other and trying to drive me insane. I had no desire to spend another day with those in my mind. At least, at school, I'd have something else to concentrate on. Here, there was nothing I could concentrate on long enough to keep them from floating in my mind.

Charlie left me alone after that, feeling relief over the fact that I was no longer 'sick'. I knew he'd been worried when he'd discovered that I hadn't gone to school, the office calling him at work to tell him. He'd come rushing home, and I'd been forced to put on a convincing display of saying that I wasn't feeling good. I refused to let him stay home, though, and he'd left after leaving me some cold medicine and chicken noodle soup straight from the can.

I'd taken the medicine, despite how unnecessary it was, and eaten all the soup. I didn't need it, but there was something comforting about eating it, the fact that he was trying to take care of me having to do with it. As for school itself, after he called and let them know I was sick, they'd sent their hopes that I'd feel better, while Angela took it upon herself to bring by the work I was missing. Surprisingly, to me, Edward had even commented to her, asking if she knew what was wrong with me. She'd told him, of course, and he ask her to convey his hopes that I recovered soon. I found it almost unbearably sweet of him, and, the few times I could get my mind away from my murder victims, I thought about him.

I'd made that list of questions that first day, after Charlie had left and I'd finally felt up to getting out of the bed. I had to admit, there were quite a few of them, and I felt a bit of an idiot to want to know him to the depth I did, as I knew that some of the questions were ones that I couldn't ask around others. But I couldn't help it; he fascinated me, probably more than he really should. And it didn't have to do with the fact that he was a vampire, though that interest me. I found him attractive, but there was also something else to him, something deeper that really attracted me. And it wasn't the fact that he had all that energy running off of him, either.

Shaking my head as I heard Charlie let out a rather loud snore, I decided to listen to some music until it was time to get ready and leave. Finding a mix of some of my favorite songs, I put it on, the volume low enough that I could hear the alarm clock when it came. Then, I spaced out, day dreaming about...anything I could that didn't have to do with the men I'd killed and Edward. I thought about him enough as it was. I should think about something else.

I closed my eyes, feinting sleep, as I let the music flow through me.

---

 

I knew something was different about today as light flooded my window. Sitting up, I looked towards it, noticing immediately that there was no veil of fog on it. It was obviously still cloudy, but not as about to rain cloudy that it had been the last few days. In fact, the clouds that I could see were almost completely white, simply there to block the sun, but nothing more. A spark of excitement ran through me – would today be a day that it didn't rain? – I hurried toward the window, only to feel my excitement deflate like a balloon.

A fine layer of snow and ice covered the ground, the rain from yesterday freezing over to make the walkways a dangerous place to tread. There was no way I wouldn't slip and slide walking it, no matter how carefully I walked. Had I been human, I would have crawled back into bed, because I most likely would have ended up breaking a bone if I tried to walk on them. As it was, I was still a little intimidated by it, sure I'd fall and bruise my bottom. I sighed, dressing and heading downstairs.

As usual, Charlie was already gone. I'd heard him leave earlier, just moments before my alarm had gone off. I realized that he'd been a bit later than he usually was, though. I didn't think much about it, throwing on a thicker sweater and grabbing my bag, locking the door behind me as I left. Making my way to my truck, I slid a few times, managing just to stay on my feet, to my gratefulness. I was excited to get to school, and I knew exactly why. I'd get to see Edward today, anticipating it in fact.

I was hurrying to school, trying to go faster than I should – the reason why I had slid so much – in a desperate attempt to get to the school, and him. I was being stupid. There was no guarantee that he'd get there in enough time for me to talk to him before my first class, nor one that he would even come talk to me. Yet, I couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful as I drove to the school.

I had no problem driving on the icy roads, much to my surprise. I hadn't been driving all that slow, after all, so I expected to be sliding a bit as I drove the slippery road. Once I got to the school, I carefully got out, and immediately saw the reason why I hadn't gone sliding. There was something on my tires, something silver. Carefully holding the sides of my truck, I moved towards the back tire, where I saw that the silver I was seeing was a set of snow chains.

My throat suddenly felt tight as I realized why Charlie had been a bit late in leaving. He'd been fitting my truck with things to make sure I didn't go sliding at all, making sure I didn't have any trouble in driving my truck. He'd been, basically, taking care of me in a way I wasn't used to. I probably should have expected it, really – Charlie was usually the one who took care of me when I was sick and all. But I didn't. I was too used to Renée, who'd never done anything like this. While she kept a roof over my head and money for food, she'd never really been the type to take care of me. Even when I was hurt, like in the accident or the times I'd trip and bruise something, she hadn't shown me much concern. Instead, I was the one taking care of her.

So this unexpected show of care left me a bit stunned, and I struggled to keep back my emotions and not start crying as I felt doing.

I was so wrapped up in my emotions that I didn't notice my surrounding all that much. It was only after I heard an odd sound and tasted terror on my tongue that I was brought back to my surroundings. There was a high-pitched screech that was quickly becoming louder with each passing second. Startle, I looked up, and saw several things simultaneously, as an adrenaline rush seemed to speed up my ability to absorb details in quick succession.

The first thing I noticed was Edward, who was standing about four cars down with his sister Alice next to him, staring at me with a look of shock and horror on his face, his emotions dominating my tongue. Then, I saw what had put that look on his face, what was making the screeching sound. A dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the breaks, spinning wildly across the icy parking lot, heading towards the back of my truck. And I was standing right there in between them.

I could have moved, should have, before it got there, but I froze like a stupid idiot, my eyes flitting back over to where Edward stood, just in time to see him react.

He ran toward me, at to fast a pace for him to be using anything other than his inhumanity – judging by the shocked looks on his family's faces, I was right – and I saw and felt him slam into me, hard, from the side. I hit the ground, just as hard as he'd slammed into me, my head bouncing against the pavement. I saw a few stars, though they quickly faded as my body healed the damage done quickly, much quicker than it would had I not had a 'meal' the other day.

I was still frozen, though, this time, I was plastered with Edward's body against my back, sitting up on the ground. We were next to a tan car that I had parked next to. I looked over my shoulder, straight at Edward's face, which was paying attention to what was happening in front of us. I turned just in time to see the van hit my truck, spinning towards me once again, as if determined to collide with me. Edward let out a low oath in my ear as it did so, and I watched as he shot his white hands out protectively in front of me, catching the van about a foot from my face, causing two large dents on the metal. I saw that he held the van up slightly above my legs, and quickly pulled them towards my body, pushing back against him some more as I did so. I couldn't do anything other than that, for his body had formed a cage around me.

I looked at him in time to see a confused look cross his face as the emotion danced on my tongue. Then, in the next second, he let go of the van, and with a groaning, metallic thud that had to have hurt his ears just as much as it hurt mine, the van hit the ground, glass raining down on us; I turned, tucking my face against his chest to keep it from hitting my face and protect my eyes.

Silence permeated the air for what seemed to be forever. Then, the screaming began.

Chapter Text

Bella’s Point of View

---

 

There many shouts of my name within the screaming, as more than one person said it, which told me that they knew I was there. I heard nothing of Edward's name, which both relieved and worried me. It relieved me that no one saw him streak over, as I got the feeling he probably had rules as similar as my own. But it worried me because I was afraid of what he'd do when he realized what he did – from the look on his face, he hadn't done so yet.

The tastes of everyone's worry was almost strong enough to block out Edward's, though it wasn't much of a winning point, as he was feeling the same emotions as they were. The strength of the emotion sent my mouth burning once more, and I had to work to keep myself from panting at the heat. However, the thing that got my attention the easiest was the low, frantic voice of Edward Cullen, which was now saying something in my ear.

“Bella? Are you alright?” he said. He sounded a bit worried, making me wonder exactly how long he'd been trying to get my attention.

“I'm fine,” I said, and I was fine. Any bruises that would have formed from him hitting me and me hitting the ground had already healed, even before they'd formed, and my mind was completely clear. I tried to pull myself up, pushing him away, which was a big hard with his iron tight grasp on me. The only way I was escaping the cage that was him was if I used a bit more of my own strength.

“Be careful,” he warned, surprised when I managed to free my self from his arms. “I think you hit your head pretty hard.”

“Not really,” I lied. Using him instead of the glass covered ground, I re-situated myself so that I was more comfortable, on his lap. The ground was uncomfortably hard and covered with glass, which I had no desire to sit on. He seemed even more surprised when I did that. I didn't look at him again, though, instead studying around us. My eyes took in the dents on the van, as well as a shoulder-shaped dent on the tan car.

I noticed that we were kind of boxed it, and that there really wasn't a way to get out.

“How in the world did you get over here so fast?” I asked, leaning against his shoulder. If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I was going to be stuck while being as comfortable as possible. He didn't seem to object, and I did wonder why.

“I was standing right next to you, Bella,” he lied, his tone serious as he tried to make me believe what he was saying. I couldn't help but roll my eyes – if he was going to try and sell a story like that, he should come up with something a bit better than that. I didn't say anything, though. Instead, I shifted, sitting up so I could yell at the people to shut up – the screaming was getting on my nerves, and there really wasn't reason for it anymore. Before I could speak, I heard someone else say something, and I got the feeling that it was directed at Edward and I.

“Don't move,” they said, I recognized the voice as belonging to Mr. Banner. I leaned back against Edward as I waited until we were allowed to move again, making sure that, we it came, I could easily get up without a problem.

“Get Tyler out of the van!” I heard someone else yell. There was a flurry of activity around us as the screaming finally began to calm down.

“You do know that I know your lying, right?” I suddenly said, causing him to tense. “I mean, I know you were by your car, next to your sister Alice.”

“No, I wasn't,” he said, and I did a quick glance over my shoulder to discover that his expression had turned hard.

“Yes, you were. I saw you.” My expression was stubborn, though I didn't think it was very effective. Since I couldn't look at him in the eye without Drawing him in, I was forced to keep my gaze somewhere else. I chose to look at the shoulder-shaped dent in the tan car for that.

“Bella, I was standing right here with you, and I pulled you out of the way when I saw the van,” he said, sounding as if he was trying to convince me that was what happened.

“No,” I said, fighting hard not to look him in his eyes. I so wanted to do that right now, just to see what his reaction to the Draw would be right now – and to get him to tell me what I wanted to here. Being this close to him was a bit intoxicating.

“Please, Bella...” he begged. I heard Mr. Banner whispering to Coach Clapp, talking about whether they should try to get the van moved, or if they should wait for the paramedics to come. I could also hear he sirens far off into the distance, though they were definitely getting closer.

“Why?” I demanded, though the question wasn't for what we were talking about. I wanted to know why he had saved me.

“Trust me,” he pleaded, his voice soft. It seemed that he didn't quite get what I was asking. Unfortunately, the sirens were definitely closer now, and and we were going to be interrupted.

“Promise to explain it to me later?” I said, shifting so that I could be ready to stand up, as I heard Mr. Banner mention that there were two students between the van and tan car.

“Fine,” he snapped. I huffily sighed, getting pissed as his irritation with me filled my mouth. I looked into his eyes, immediately tasting the effects that the Draw had on him s the irritation faded and desire began to take it's place. I only kept eye contact long enough for the irritation to be completely gone, then forced my eyes away from his. It amused me as his confusion danced on my tongue as he wondered what just happened. He deserved to wonder, in my opinion.

It took six paramedics and two teachers to shift the van far away enough to bring stretchers in. I groaned out loud, before quickly standing and refusing the one they offered for me. When Edward told them I'd hit my head pretty hard, I glared at him, continuing to refuse it, and slapping off the hands that tried to push me down on it. Once I finally managed to get them not to bother me by pointing out that, if I had hit my head, I'd be dizzy at the moment, in which I quickly got back to glaring at Edward. However, an idea came to me as I heard Edward saying he didn't need one.

“But Edward, you hit your shoulder rather hard on the tan car there,” I said, sounding concern. It took all I had not to laugh, as they began to insist that he get onto the stretcher, and he kept refusing. He only stopped when, after a subtle point – not from me, but one of the paramedics – to the dent in the tan car made by his shoulder, he realized that protesting was useless. So they ceased, and he let them strap him down,wincing every now and then as he probably suspected that he was supposed to.

He glared at me – most likely because they probably wouldn't have thought that the dent in the car was from him if I hadn't pointed out that he'd hit it, despite the fact that it was shoulder-shaped – but it didn't bother me all that much. I just smiled sweetly at him, inwardly laughing at him. As he was rolled from the space and brought out to the open, I tasted shock and from everyone when they saw me walking without a problem, and Edward strapped down to a stretcher. I worked hard to keep a smile from my face, but I couldn't help but think that I'd gotten one over on Edward with this little stunt.

My eyes darted around the crowd, immediately finding Edward's family. I didn't need to taste it to know that they were just as shocked as everyone else when they spotted Edward. However, I was surprised when I realized that Alice didn't seemed to be shocked at all. In fact, she looked...she looked as if she had been laughing, and was about to start again. In all honestly, that confused me. Why would she be laughing her head off and not shocked? I mean, you'd think she'd be just like the rest of her family. Or was there something I was missing about her, something that I didn't know.

I stayed next to the stretcher Edward was on, portraying a worried friend for him, and, when we got to the ambulance, I asked to sit in back with him, scrambling one of the paramedic’s brains a bit when it looked as if he would refuse. Charlie arrived about then, saw that I was fine but about to get into the ambulance, and turned to ask someone what was going on.

Before the door could be closed, and as the apples that represented humor began to grow on my tongue, I saw that Alice had headed over to us. I wondered if she was going to ride with us, until I saw that she was holding a bag in her hand. I realized that it was Edward's, or, at least, figured that it was. I realized then that I had, somehow, managed to keep and forget the fact that my own bag was hanging on my arm still – I had forgotten about the weight, which was not a good thing, as it was filled with heavy textbooks.

“Edward's cell is in the bag,” she told me. I immediately knew why she was telling me – I remembered what Ashanti had told me about the leader of their...family. She gave me a smile, her eyes dancing over to Edward, where she let out a giggle. I smirked at her, mouthing 'that's what he gets for trying to trap me on one of these things', to which she gave a tinkling laugh as she backed away. The door shut then, and I settled down right next to Edward.

“Hope you enjoy the ride,” I said to him lightly, glad that we were alone back here. I made sure to speak lowly, so that no one could hear us. He glared at me some more.

“So,” I said, ignoring his glare. “Which pocket is your cell in?”

His irritation came back, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

“Come on, Edward,” I said. “There is someone I have to call. If you don't tell me which pocket, then I'll have to search for the phone myself.”

He still didn't answer, and I got the feeling that he didn't exactly expect me to actually follow through on my threat.

“Alright, guess I'll have to search for it myself,” I said, my hand heading for one of the zippers. “Wonder what else I'll find in here.”

That seemed to make him realize that I wasn't kidding; that, or he just realized that there was something he didn't want me to see. Either way, before I could open the main part of it, he spoke.

“Front pocket, he said, gritting it out. Obviously, he wasn't happy to be giving it to me. I smiled to him, pulling the phone out of the front pocket as I did so.

“There,” I said, “that wasn't so hard, now was it?” He glowered at me once more. I activated the phone, going straight to his phone book, and finding his father's name on it. It wasn't hard – I didn't need to ask him, even though I didn't actually know his father's name. He only had his siblings, house number, and two numbers that held unknown names to me. By process of elimination, and the fact that I'd already been told that it was his 'father' who was the doctor, it was easy to decide which if the two names left was who I wanted.

Calling, I held the phone up to my ear, while Edward looked incredulous at me. It seemed he didn't quite know who I was calling, and probably thought I was making a personal call with his cell. As fun as that would be, it would also be quite mean to do, and a jerk move as well.

“Who are you calling?” he hissed. I held up a finger as the phone was answered.

“Edward?” a smooth voice that was remarkably appealing answered. When Edward heard who it was that answered, his eyes went wide, and he seemed to wonder, for a moment, why I was calling. I knew when he came to a conclusion – most likely the wrong one, since I wasn't supposed to know what he was – and he immediately felt apologetic and chagrined for his previous attitude. Here I was, making sure that his father knew that he was heading towards the hospital so he wasn't blindsided, and he'd been acting like a stubborn jerk and trying to keep me from doing that.

“Dr. Cullen,” I said. “This is Bella Swan, a classmate of Edward's. I'm calling to let you know that there was an accident at the school involving Edward and myself, and we'll be arriving at the hospital soon. Edward will be one of the people on the stretchers if you want to know.”

I hung up after that, so I didn't try and ask him some questions about Edward and the rest of their family. Plus, I had the feeling that he'd be trying to ask me some questions that I really did not want to answer at the moment.

“You're father has a nice voice,” I told Edward as I slipped the phone back into it's pocket. He gave me a weird look, then clear his throat.

“Um, thank you, for letting my father know,” he said.

“Your welcome,” I said. “Although, you know, you could have done it yourself. I mean, if you hadn't tried to have them strap me down to a gurney, I wouldn't have mentioned you hitting your shoulder.”

He frowned at me, before shaking his head. We were pulling into the hospital at the moment, and I was allowed to climb out into a small crowd of four doctors. It was easy to tell which of the doctors was Edward's father. He was young, blond, and handsomer than any movie star I had ever seen. He was also pale, and had dark circles under his eyes, which were just as golden as Edward's had been a few times since meeting him. At the moment, though, they were black, most likely the by product of the irritation that he kept feeling for me.

“What happened?” Dr. Cullen asked, looking at Edward. I didn't think he really noticed me.

“He hit his shoulder on the side of a tan car hard enough to leave a dent,” I told him, causing him to notice me for the first time.

“I take it that you're Bella,” he said. I nodded my head. “I'm Dr. Cullen, Edward's father.”

Before the paramedics could take Edward to a room, Dr. Cullen waved them off, saying that he'd take over. They didn't question it, just let him have the stretcher that his son was strapped to. I think it was mostly because the other ambulance had arrived by then, because they went hurrying towards it. Dr. Cullen unstrapped his son, letting him off the stretcher, and directing him into the place. I followed, mostly because I wanted to make sure that Edward didn't try and get out of the talk I got him to promise me.

I saw that Dr. Cullen led Edward to an office, and stopped a few feet from it, doing my best not to eavesdrop, as I leaned against a wall. Luckily, before I could give into the urge of doing so, I saw Tyler being rolled down the hallway. When he caught sight of me, he looked a bit frantic.

“Bella, I'm so sorry!” he said as he got closer. The nurse huffed a bit as Tyler motioned for her to stop next to me, but I guess he wasn't so hurt that he had to be hurried away. He didn't even look that bad, just a bit banged up.

“I'm fine, Tyler,” I told him, avoiding the outstretched hand that he tried to grab me with. I happened to like the fact that he was a bit strapped down – he couldn't go very far in his attempts to grab me.

He ignored my words. “I thought I was going to kill you! I was going to fast, and I hot the ice wrong...” he trailed off.

“You missed me, so don't worry about it,” I placated him.

“How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there one minute, and then you were gone,” Tyler said.

“Edward pulled me out of the way.” More like he pushed me out of the way.

He looked confused. “Who?” he asked.

“Edward Cullen, one of the Cullen kids,” I answered.

“Cullen? I didn't see him...” Tyler said, trailing off to search his memory. I knew that, if I had let him, he'd realized that he hadn't been anywhere near me, and quickly spoke up.

“Yeah, he was coming over because he had a question he wanted to ask me,” I said. “When he saw your van, he kind of hurried over and pulled me out of the way, which was rather lucky for me. You would have hit me otherwise.”

“Is he okay?” Tyler asked.

“Um, he got a little banged up,” I answered honestly. I had the feeling that it would get out that Edward had been on a stretcher, so I couldn't actually say that he was fine. “His father's taking care of him right now. In fact, I'm waiting for him to finish.”

“The nurse who was pushing Tyler decided that it was time to get him back to on track to wherever they were going, forcing him to break off whatever he was going to say. I sighed, going and leaning up against a wall. I used the sounds of everyone else around me to block out the sound of Edward and Carlisle talking. I couldn't help but notice that they were speaking very lowly, as if they knew that I could hear them and were making sure that I wouldn't. It worked, to a point, as I really couldn't, not with everything else going on around me, and where I was standing.

I had to admit, I was wondering why it was taking him so long. I mean, Edward wasn't really hurt, so there was no reason for it to seem like he was. Unless they were using this time as a way to make it seem like it... I wondered how long it took to check if someone's shoulder was okay or not. As I waited, I noticed an increase of emotion that I recognized a bit. I mentally groaned, wondering why several students from school were coming here, and how they were allowed to skip school. I mean, it wasn't like any of them were hurt. Finally, though, the door opened, and they came out. I pushed myself from the wall walking over to him. They noticed me almost immediately.

“He all right?” I asked, already knowing the answer. I wondered how people were going to feel if he showed up bearing no injury, though none of them really knew that there was a good reason why he wouldn't.

“Oh, he bruised his shoulder pretty well, but that'll go away with some ice,” Carlisle said. “I want you to go straight home, though, all right, son? No going back to school.”

“Okay,” Edward said. Carlisle headed down the hallway in the same direction that Tyler had been wheeled off once Edward gave his acquisition. I turned toward Edward, looping my arm around his before he could even think of just walking off.

“Ready to talk?” I asked. For a moment, I thought that he was going to yell at me or say no, and his emotions tasted of annoyance as he led me to another hallway, one that was shorter but completely deserted. Once there, he shook himself free of the hold I had on his arm, and abruptly turned to me. Every inch of his was hostile and annoyed looking. His emotions were really only thing that showed me he was just acting.

“What do you want?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

“You owe me an explanation,” I reminded him.

“I saved your life – I don't owe you anything.” His hostility would have had me stuttering and intimidated. As was, he was only exceeding in pissing my off.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to push back the anger I was feeling. “You promised,” I said, in a tone that said I did not like it when people broke said things.

“Bella, I already told you that I was standing next to you...” he started to say once again. He ended up trailing off when I held up a hand to stop him.

“First of all, no matter how much you say that, I'll never believe you, so save your breath,” I snapped. “Of course, I'll tell others something of that caliber as well, though I won't say it like that. I know for a fact that if I did, most of the people I would tell who asked would say that they didn't see you. No offense or anything, but we'd attract attention if we were seen together like you said.” My tone was smug by the end of my spiel. I saw his jaw clench as he realized that I was right.

“However,” I started, my tone changing, “that's not what I want to talk to you about. Back in the parking lot, I wasn't asking why I should lie – I already figured that there was a good reason for it. What I was asking was why did you save me. I mean, we don't know each other very well. In fact, we've only talked to each other once. So, why?”

I could tell that I had stumped him with that question. I focused on the emotions dancing on my tongue. Shock, fear, desperation, and confusion, a strong dose of confusion, filled my mouth as he said, “I don't know.”

I shifted a bit, hearing the vulnerability in his voice and, when I chanced a glance upwards, seeing it on his face as well. I bit my lip. His vulnerability was making me a bit uncomfortable, not the way that Ashanti's had, but in a different way. He seemed so strong that seeing him like this felt like it was tearing at my insides. I thought of something else to focus on, something else to change the subject.

“You know, I haven't said thank you, have I?” I said, stepping forward. He froze, his curiosity mixing in with his confusion over what I was doing. Reaching up, I placing my hands on his shoulders, using them to help steady me as I pulled myself up level to his face. Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward. For a moment, I thought about kissing him on the lips, just to see what he truly tasted like while feeding at the same time, but I forced myself to pass them by. Being as close as I was, my lips actually brushed against his cheek as I came to his ear.

“Thank you,” I whispered, pulling back. Before I went to far, though, I gave in to my desire to taste him a bit, placing a small kiss in the corner of his mouth, where I wouldn't end up having any energy cause me to want more. Just like the rest of him, he was cold, but my lips felt as if I'd been burnt, though without pain.

I left him standing there, frozen in surprise, and hurried towards the exit. Realizing that I really didn't want to end up meeting with the students who were here – which probably were then entirety of Forks High, based on how many different emotions I was getting, I stopped a nurse, asking if there was a back way out. She directed me to it, and, after thanking her, I left. I headed straight for the forest so I could run home without anyone seeing me. I'd get my truck later, or, if I was lucky, Charlie would figure out a way to get it back home for me – that is, if it was still working. I didn't want to think of what the consequences would be if the van had hit it hard enough to mess something up. I'd been lucky to even get the truck; neither Charlie nor I could really afford to get me a new car.

---

 

I was in the kitchen making dinner when Charlie came home, seemingly calm though there was a hint of worry in him.

“Bella?” he called, and I could hear the worry in his voice.

“In the kitchen,” I called to him. I heard him walking towards me, thankful as the worry fell away for relief.

“I take it your all right?” he said.

“Yup,” I said. “Edward was able to get me out of the way.”

“That's good,” he said, sitting down as I filled a bowl with the stew I'd made for him. I poured a bowl for myself as well, knowing that I couldn't get away with not eating with him. Luckily, having seen me walking around and with no problems kept him from asking how I was over and over again. He did ask about Edward, where I told him that his father had checked him out and proclaimed him a bit bruised but fine otherwise. I almost expected him to ask why I didn't go back to school after I got done at the hospital, or why I didn't stay in school since I was obviously fine after the accident, but he didn't. I guess a lot of people decided to make it a ditch day, so me not being there didn't matter all that much.

I only ate one bowl of the stew, washing it before putting the rest of the stew away in the fridge. Before I left he kitchen, I told Charlie that I was going to head up to bed early, that today's excitement tired me out. He didn't argue, not even suspecting that I was lying, despite the fact that it was still way too early to do so. I headed up stairs, taking a shower before going back to my room, pulling on some jeans and a long sleeved shirt. I locked the door, despite knowing that Charlie wouldn't really bother me, and then jumped out my window, heading to the woods. I only stopped when I was away from the house enough that Charlie wouldn't see me if he looked out a window.

I stood still, wondering what to do; I eventually decided to do something that I hadn't done before. I was going to spy on the Cullens.

I headed right over, in the direction that I remembered Ashanti mentioning that they were in. I slowed down as I came up to a rather beautiful three story house painted a nice white. I could hear arguing going on in one of the rooms, and saw through a window that all seven of them were there, talking to one another. I got as close as I was willing to, my eyes on the seven beings in the room. My mouth burned from all the emotions I could taste coming from all of them. Fury, dislike, concern, confusion, protectiveness, and several others danced on my tongue, recycling over and over again.

I began to listen to what was going on, able to get the gist within a few moments. I didn't feel panicked, nor concerned or upset as I probably should have over the subject. Instead, I felt calm, a confusing emotion to feel considering that they were arguing over whether to kill me or not. The blonds, Rosalie and Jasper, were all for me dying – Rosalie was even saying we could use my non-existent head injury as a reason for my death. I rolled my eyes – how quickly she forgot that I didn't hit my head.

I almost wished that they would come try to kill me. They'd be in for a use surprise if they did. After all, I wasn't a weak human as they were assuming me to be. I was tempted to crash the little meeting and show them, but then realized that it wasn't me I was feeling. It was the monster inside me that wanted that. I gripped the tree in my hands tighter so I didn't end up jumping down and doing just that.

I was surprised when Edward mention that he would stop Jasper, mostly because I wasn't expecting such a staunch support from him. I could see the two sizing each other up, looking as if they were ready to spring at any moment, when the other female that I knew, Alice, spoke up.

“Jazz,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “You are not going to hurt her. We're going to be the best of friends, after all.”

My mouth fell open. Was she talking about me? How could she say that, considering that she didn't even know me?

What really got me, though, was the reaction Edward had.

“That's not going to happen,” he said. “I won't let it.” Fury shot through me, though I did my best to tamp it down. He wasn't going to let it? Who did he think he was, my personal warden? If she wanted to become my friend, my best friend if I let her, she could become my friend.

“It's going to happen,” Alice said. “Just as you wanting to be with her will.”

That confused me. He wanted me? Or, would want me? I was so confused. Emmett, who'd been arguing against them killing me, started howling with laughter.

“You mean Edward's going to fall for a human?” he said thought his laughter. The reactions of everyone else coated my tongue. There was happiness and shock from most of them, and extreme fury from one of them. Before I could figure out who it was that was furious, I saw Edward burst out of the house, heading in the opposite direction that I was in.

“Edward,” I muttered lowly, too low for anyone to have heard, especially over the mountain that was Rosalie, who was the fury I'd tasted. I heard her spew forth whatever it was that she was thinking to the others, obviously furious that Edward would want me. I couldn't get her reasoning, until I concentrated, pushing the others' emotions away so that I could just taste her own. It was rather difficult, and I didn't want to concentrate on hers, as the fury tasted extremely bad. But, I managed it, until I could taste what else she was feeling. I almost fell out of the tree in shock. She was jealous! Of me!

I couldn't comprehend as to why she was feeling that.

As I made sure I was secure in my tree, I looked back at them, waiting to see if there would be anything of interest spoke. And I looked right into the interested eyes of Alice. My own widened. Shit I thought, quickly jumping down and turning to run back home. I got about a third of the way there when I tasted an increase of emotions from someone, someone who was chasing me. They were determined as I led them all over the place, staying pretty far ahead of them, though they stayed in my range of emotion tasting, though dimly.

It soon became clear to me that I wasn't going to get away from them, and I jumped into a tree, as high up as I could, thinking about incapacitating whoever was following me. It was just one vampire, so I figured I could do it. I wouldn't hurt them in a permanent way, just in a way that they weren't able to continue chasing me.

The vampire came closer, and I tensed, ready to spring down on them when they came into view.

“Bella,” came the musical voice of a female. Somehow, I just knew that it would be Alice who'd chase me. “Bella, please, I don't want to hurt you. I just want to talk.”

She looked right at me, able to see me just as easily I would her if we were switched. It was clear that I wouldn't be able to attack her from where I was hiding, as she steered clear of my tree, choosing one on the opposite side of the little clearing we were in.

“What do you want?” I asked her, no moving from where I was crouched.

“Just to talk, as I already said,” she told me, holding both hands where I could see them. I gave her a calculating look, then jumped down, staying away from her and not taking my eyes off of her.

“How did you know I was there?” I asked.

“I heard the tree outside creak a bit, and looked, seeing you there. I had to admit, it did shock me a bit. Had you not jumped and run off when you did, I would not have been the only one to see you as I was,” she told me. I nodded.

“Now, it's my turn to ask you a question,” she said, and I cringed, knowing what she was going to ask.

“What are you?” she asked, just as I knew she would. I bit my lip. Should I tell her? It would be nice to be able to talk to someone about what I was, someone who didn't have anything to do with it. But...I didn't want anyone else to know. I mean, I didn't want her entire family to know. It wasn't any of their business, just mine. If I want them to know, I'd either tell them myself or give someone else permission to do the same.

“You won't tell anyone?” I said to her, waiting for her answer.

“I won't,” she said. “I'm good at hiding things.”

I slowly nodded at her statement, in an absentminded way, biting my lip once again.

“I'm...I'm a succubus,” I finally said, after a few moment. For a moment, I thought I would feel dread at having actually said it, but I only felt relief instead. Having told someone felt...nice. I no longer had to hide what I was, at least, from her.

“And I get the feeling that you know what I...what my whole family is,” she said. I nodded.

“I've known since my first day here,” I told her. My eyes darted around, never looking at her own.

“Can I ask how it is that you know were going to be the best of friends?” I asked her.

“I have visions,” she told me. “I can see what's going to happen in the future based on the decisions that others make. And I saw us together, happily linked arm in arm.”

“You had some other visions as well?” I said, though it was formed in a question.

“Yes, a few,” she said. “Though, they've become a bit murky. The only one that's still solid is the one of you and me. Although...”

“What?” I asked. Now it was her turn to look indecisive.

“Well...I can't see you as clearly as I can see everyone else,” she finally said. “If I'm looking just for you, I see nothing, and, if your with a vampire, you kind of go in and out of focus, and are kind of blurred. Not majorly, but it's there.”

“Well, that's nice,” I said, feeling like a freak. It was obvious from the way she spoke that she'd never run into a problem like that before.

“Why don't you look me in the eye?” she suddenly asked. At that, I almost did look her in the eye, but remembered not to at the last second.

“It's...not safe for me to do so,” I said. “It's how I can confuse people so that they don't stop me from feeding on them. I can also use it to call someone to me if I wanted to feed on them as well.” My mind jumped back to my first day of school here, were I'd done just that with Edward. I think she realized it as well.

“That's why...” she breathed, looking amazed. “I was so confused as to why the vision I'd had that day shifted so suddenly and Edward was so interested to get to you. It's because you were calling him to you, weren't you?”

“Yes,” I said. “It was an accident. I'm still kind of new to all this. I mean, I'm not even a year old yet. I've got zero control over it.”

“What is it, anyway?” she asked.

“It's called the Draw,” I told her. “At least, that's why my kind call it. It basically befuddles the brain and just makes the person want to do anything we want them to. We want them to dump their other half and come with us, they do it. We want to feed, they let us. We want to kill them, they don't fight.”

“And you wanted Edward...” she said.

“He – you, all of you, burn me,” I told her. “He does it more than you do, but it's not just limited to him. I can taste emotions, each one having a specific taste to it. The stronger the emotion is on my tongue, the closer a person feeling it is to me. But it's intensity is also subjected to a few other things, like how many other people are feeling that way, and how much energy they have. You and your family, you have a bottomless supply of energy, and you dominate all emotions if your in my range, and I concentrate on you. I'm getting better at controlling it, though. Sitting in the cafeteria with all of you has helped me quite a bit.”

“Wow,” she said. “That's...I'm not sure how to describe it. I mean, I'd heard of succubi, but it's usually referred to my kind. In truth, I've always thought that people were just confusing some vampires as them. It made sense to think that, because we have some extended family up in Alaska, and three of the five used to do what I've always heard of succubi doing, you know, having sex and then draining their victims. Well, the sex part, anyway. The draining is pure vampire.

”Of course, now that I think about it, I have a feeling they know about real succubi, because they always laugh about it, and, well, I've heard them allude to the fact that it was funny that so many called them succubi when it wasn't true. I'd always thought that they were thinking that they were just saying that because they're vampires, but now, well, it makes sense that they probably know about real succubi.”

“We don't need sex, though I know that a few of my kind do enjoy it,” I said, putting what she'd just told me about their extended family into the back of my mind. “We just need to lip-lock, and keep that lock until we're full. It...usually kills the person, though, and, sometimes, it takes more than one to make one of us feel full.”

She looked confused.

“But then, how do you not kill your victims?” she asked.

“The most experienced ones, I'm told, usually just take a bit for multiple people,” I said. “I, however... I don't feed. At all. It actually is why your brother effects me so badly. Well, he still effects me badly anyway, but it's almost impossible to control myself around him. The only time I was actually able to do so was because we were talking. It was easy to get distracted talking to him.”

“But... you didn't seem to be having much of a problem this morning,” she said. I immediately looked away, and a look of comprehension crossed her face.

“Oh,” she said. “Was it...”

“I think it was either someone from out of town or from Port Angeles, I don't know exactly where he was from, though,” I said. “It was an accident. I didn't...I didn't mean to. I'd just gone out for a drink, and he followed me when I left, caught me off guard when he kissed me, and the energy...”

I was starting to ramble.

“No, you don't need to explain it to me,” she said. “I can understand being caught off guard. It happened to Emmett and Esme before. In fact, everyone in my family has fallen off the bandwagon once or twice, so to speak. How did this happen to you, though?”

“Last May, I was in a car accident,” I told her. “According to the person who turned me, I wouldn't have survived it.”

“Oh,” she said. Before I could ask, she added, “I woke up sometime in the nineteen-twenties or so, alone. The only reason why I'm not wild is because I had my visions. I saw me meeting Jasper, as well as living with the Cullens, who, at the time, were only Edward, Esme, and Carlisle, at least, in my vision. I decided to wait for Jasper, seeing that I saw him first, and that it would be better if I did. All the visions of what would happen if I didn't were bad. By the time I met Jasper and all, Rosalie and Emmett had joined the Cullens as well.”

I nodded my head.

“So, you were not only left alone, but you have no idea of who you were or where you were from?” I said.

“Nope. I've got nothing. I only knew my name, though I'm not even sure how I did,” she said. “I think I remember someone saying it, but the memory is so...faint I could be wrong.”

I thought about it for a moment, thinking of my history.

“Do you think it's possible that you had these visions of yours when you were alive?” I asked.

“I'm not sure,” she said, looking surprised at the question. “As far as I know, gifts don't show up until a person is...well, turned. Why?”

“I don't know, I was just thinking of something about the history of the time you woke up around,” I told her. I could tell that she wanted to press me for whatever it was I was talking about, but she held it in.

“So, you said that you tasted emotions,” she said. I nodded.

“Yes, I do,” I said. “Each emotion has a certain taste to it, and, depending on how strongly a person is feeling that emotion, it dictates a bit on the intensity of it's taste on my tongue. Of course, like I said, there are other factors involved as well. But, because people can feel several emotions at once, one of them is usually stronger than another.”

She nodded, then asked how each one tasted. I gave her the list of the ones I could off the top of my head, starting with those of positive emotions and going to those of the negative. Her eyes were wide at the different tastes.

We spent another three hours talking, where she finally asked me what I was thinking of when I'd asked her about if she might have had her visions when human, but, before she could get me to answer, her face went blank. I knew that she was having a vision – it was really the only thing I could think of for the blank look on her face. She hadn't told me how she'd looked when having a vision, though, so I wasn't actually positive.

When she snapped out of it, she looked a bit put out and apologetic.

“Jasper's getting anxious as to what's taking me so long,” she said. “He's decided to come look for me...”

“I guess that means it's good-bye for now,” I said, before she could say anymore. I could tell that she probably wanted us to meet, but I wasn't quite ready. Telling one person was enough for me at the moment.

“Okay, then,” she said, turning to leave. She paused though, as if something just occurred to her.

“By the way,” she started, looking back at me, though not in my eyes, “if Edward acts like a jerk the next week or so, don't take it personally. He just saw something he didn't like, mostly because he misunderstood it.”

She left then, before I could ask her what she meant about the 'seeing' thing. Was he precognitive as well? That would explain why he'd been so angry, because he saw either the same things she did or because he saw something different. Yet, that didn't appear to fit, either. I mean, why would he see something different that Alice did?

Then I remembered what Alice had said about gifts. She mentioned that they mostly manifested when one was a vampire. The way she spoke of the gifts made me wonder if, perhaps, there were other kinds of gifts, gifts that others in her family could have. If that was true, what gift did Edward have, assuming he had one?

This mystery confused and occupied my mind as I headed home. I also wondered what her last warning was about.

Chapter Text

Edward’s Point of View

---

 

I stayed away for several weeks, thinking a lot about what had happened. After arriving here in Alaska, and gorging myself on several animals, my thoughts had turned towards thinking about what had almost happened, and what had ended up happening. I couldn't believe that I had been chased from my home by a mere girl. A girl who smelled delicious, but a mere girl nonetheless. I was troubled, though, when I remembered what had happened when I had connected my eyes with hers.

I had wanted to talk to Eleazar about what had happened, both with her scent and then her gaze., hoping he might know what it was, but he wasn't there, apparently having taken Carmen onto a little vacation. I could have easily adjusted my plans to talk to Tanya and her sisters instead, for they were just as old, if not slightly older than Eleazar, but I could barely stand to be around them a whole lot, considering how their thoughts rang. As succubi – at least, that was what they'd been referred as by the way they used to hunt – their thoughts were mostly on wanting to get in my pants, with Tanya being the most insistent. I knew that it was because she'd never really been rejected before.

Because of how uncomfortable I was around there, I decided to wait for Eleazar away from them, mostly living out in the snowy landscape. Not being able to feel cold or uncomfortable was useful for that. Unfortunately, as the weeks began to go by until it was closing in on a second week of me being gone, I'd begun to miss my family, and Eleazar still hadn't come back. I'd also began to believe that what had happened was just imagined, and soon decided to go back home. I took my time, though, not arriving until the Friday of my second week gone.

Esme had been overjoyed to see me. She had understood my need to leave after the other had told her, but she still didn't like it when any of us were away from her for long. The only time she was okay with it was was when we called every day, as Rosalie and Emmett would do when they'd decide to live away from us every once in a while.

I spent the weekend hunting, gorging myself once again on animals in preparation for Monday. I also made sure to mentally and physically prepare myself for another confrontation with Bella.

When we arrived at the school, it was easy to smell her scent. The two weeks I was away had laid down permanent paths of it, though they were deluded quite a bit from the overlay of scents from others. When we got to the cafeteria, Bella wasn't there yet. I searched the students out, seeing that she was with Angela, both who were coming through the doors of their last class. I was careful not to laugh as I heard the conversation between Bella and Angela, and saw Bella's face when Mike Newton, who'd come up to say something to her, got wacked with a snowball from someone else. She, and Angela would hurried away, coming here. I made sure I was ready for when they entered, and noticed that Bella, after just getting an apple and some water, headed to an empty table, Angela following her. I saw that the table was as far from where I was sitting as possible, and wondered about it. It couldn't have been because she just wanted to sit alone – there were quite a few empty tables around. So I wondered why she chose that one specifically, if she did so.

When Alice noticed where my eyes were at, she also looked over.

You know, I think you scared her that one day she thought to me. I looked over at her, giving her a look that conveyed that I wanted her to explain.

I tried to go see her, ask her if she'd be willing to gather notes for you in the class you share she explained. I wanted to make sure that she didn't realize that there was something wrong with you, plus I was curious as to what had caused you to go crazy. But, before I could get there, she seemed to notice that I was coming towards her, had even turned to see me walking towards her, and pretty much ran out of the cafeteria before I could get to her.

As she spoke, I saw what she was telling me. I had to admit, I was slightly worried. Not only because of her reaction, but because of the fact that Alice might be just as attracted to her scent as I was. And then there was the look on Bella's face when she'd scene Alice coming. She'd looked almost terrified before turning around and making an excuse to leave.

“Okay, guys, at normal, someone's going to look over to see what we're doing about today's snowfall,” Alice suddenly muttered.

“You want us to act normal,” Emmett said, bringing a hand up to the table. I saw that he had some loose snow in his hand, which he the squeezed to make it compact. He flicked it at Alice, who, using her sight, flicked it away, across the room, where it ended up hitting the wall, causing a crack to appear.

“Nice way to blend in, Emmett,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as him. He just smiled back, before an idea began to form in his head. I couldn't help the smile that began to take over my own face as I heard what he was going to do. He leaned over, shaking the snow from his hair onto the girls, who shrieked with laughter as they tried to get away. I 'heard' the smugness in Alice's voice as what she wanted to happen did, even though it caused her to get snow all over her clothes.

I thought I felt eyes on me specifically, but I could tell that many people were looking at us, so they didn't really gain any attention from me. It wasn't until I heard Angela think What is Bella looking at? as I saw a picture of her looking at Bella, who was looking over her shoulder. I saw myself in the vision, though Angela didn't seem to realize it, and, somehow, knew whose eyes I was feeling. I turned to look, but Bella was already looking away, turning towards Angela. I knew that I probably shouldn't, but I decided to eavesdrop on what they were saying, hoping that I'd get a clue in on how Bella had been doing the last few weeks, and wondering of she had said anything about my behavior, both in class and after school.

“Hmm,” Bella sounded, obviously in a sort of questioning way, which Angela immediately picked up. I saw, in her mind, as she looked at me herself.

“It looks as if Edward is back,” she said. “I wonder why he was gone so long?”

It was obvious that Bella hadn't mentioned how I was that day to Angela, but I a feeling that was going to change, now that Bella had been asked about it. It looked as thought I wasn't going to be completely disappointed in my belief, though I was surprised by what Bella ended up saying.

“He didn't look so good after school that day,” she said. “Perhaps he's been sick these last few weeks.”

“Perhaps,” Angela agreed, though she did wonder what kind of sickness would keep me out so long. I got the feeling that she thought there was another reason for it, but she honestly didn't care to think too deeply about them. Angela went back to her book, and I let her mind, as I was more interested in Bella than what she was reading. I found several people looking at her, and tried each of their minds, but immediately left them because of their thoughts. Giving up on that for now, I looked at Bella, really looking at her.

A frown made it's way over my face as I studied her. She was extremely beautiful, but, at the same time, there was something dull about her, as if she was lifeless. Her skin was too pale, and she had a bit of an unhealthy look, one that didn't quite seem noticeable to regular humans, as they hadn't thought about it themselves. She wasn't eating, simply playing with the apple in her hand, and I found myself frowning. She obviously needed to eat, with the unhealthy look about her, and I worried that she might have an eating disorder, especially with how skinny she was.

I saw her and Angela leaving the cafeteria, and I waited a few more minutes before leaving myself. I had to keep myself from smiling as I heard Angela think Thank god the snows gone. I could see, in her mind, that Bella had a look that suggested she was glad it was gone as well. Getting up from my seat, I began to follow the two, stay back so that they had time to get to class before me, and using this as an opportunity to begin desensitizing myself to Bella's scent. I took small breaths, walking a bit stiffly so that I didn't end up running at Bella, and and drink from her, as the monster in me wanted.

I was mostly in control as I passed through the classroom door, though her scent was even stronger now. Walking slowly to my seat, I was able to keep from attacking her. I purposely made noise as I went to sit by her, though, for some reason, it almost seemed as if she already knew I was there. The minute I had crossed over the threshold of the classroom, she'd gone tense.

Though I made sure to keep myself looking open, she didn't look at me, didn't lose her tense status. This displeased me, for some reason. I didn't want her tense, didn't want her to be afraid. I told myself that it was because if she acted like something was wrong, then others would notice – I already knew that Micheal Newton had – and that would cause rumors, rumors that would most likely cause all of us to need to move away. I really didn't want to hear Rosalie bitching about having to do that and start over sooner rather than later.

I turned towards her, doing my best to portray a non-threatening and open look.

“Hello,” I said, gaining her attention. She turned towards me, about to look me in the eye, when she seemed to stop herself, keeping her eyes on my chest, though I did see her take a quick perusal of me. I found it a bit unnerving that she was doing that, but also curious. Why didn't she look me in the eyes? Of course, as I remembered what had happened the last time, I was a bit glad that she wasn't. Though I believed that I had imagined it, I didn't want to tempt fate if it actually had been real. I became a bit apprehensive when I saw her frown at me.

“My name is Edward Cullen,” I continued. The frown fell from her face, and she adopted a politely interested face. “ I didn't have a chance to introduce myself before, as I wasn't feeling good. You must be Bella Swan.”

She looked puzzled, almost as if I'd done something that didn't sit well with her. She was also silent, for such a while that I had the feeling that I was kind of waiting for a response from her. Also, her stare at me was beginning to become really unnerving. I cleared my throat, just so that she would stop staring at me, though I was really hoping that she would actually speak to me. I was curious about her. She swallowed as she realized that I was waiting for...something.

"H-how do you know my name?" she stammered out, and I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my face as it looked as though she wanted to smack her head. I chuckled a bit, gaining her attention once more.

"Oh, I think everyone here knows your name," I said. "The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."

She grimaced, looking unsettled, though resigned, about the fact. It was obvious that she had suspected as much, and I wondered if she was wondering about any rumors that would have been formed. I knew that many had, having heard it through their heads. The ones that I hated hearing the most were those from Lauren Mallory and her mother, who came up with the worse of the rumors. Of course, from what I could understand, it was obvious that they were all wrong, and that Lauren had looked like a laughing stock after that first day Bella came here.

"I know," she said. "I wasn't thinking...although, you do have to admit it was a valid question. I mean, why did you call me Bella?"

"Do you prefer Isabella?" I asked, confused. I knew that she preferred Bella to her actual name, so I was wondering why she wanted to know why I called her by her preferred name.

"No," she said. "I like Bella.” This made me even more confused. Why would she be wondering why I called her by her preferred name. “But I think Charlie, I mean, my dad must have been calling me Isabella behind my back. That's what everyone here seemed to know me as, and if you were going off of that information..." she didn't need to finish as I froze slightly, awareness going through me. I'd only been at the school one day before today, and hadn't introduced myself. It was also clear, if she had observed the rest of my family while here and talked to the others, that we kept to ourselves, and didn't have any classes with her. Logically, there was no way I could know to call her Bella.

"Oh," I said, not offering anything else. I felt like a fool. I couldn't tell her that I knew because I could read minds, she'd freak, and, besides, I wasn't allowed to anyway. And I couldn't think of something to explain how I knew it, either. Luckily, I heard Mr. Banner's thoughts as he readied to start the class, and looked towards him. However, I did notice, from the corner of my eye, that Bella was about to say something to me, and found myself a bit unhappy when Mr. Banner actually did start. She turned to look at him, a frown on her face from not being able to speak, and I was insanely curious as to what she was about to say.

Mr. Banner outlined what today's lab would be – we were to use the microscopes on our tables to look at the slides in the boxes to identify the steps of mitosis. This was made to be harder because the slides were out of order. I picked up from his mind that this was taken from an advanced study book he'd ordered the other day, trying to find ways to shake up the class. I saw Bella put her book away when he mentioned that they couldn't be used.

"Get started," he commanded.

"Ladies first, partner?" I asked, giving her a small, crooked smile. She looked up, only getting as far as my mouth, before she stopped. I was bewildered as she just stared at my lips, which also made me wonder what hers would taste like. Mentally, after that thought, I shook my head.

"Or I could start, if you wish," I said, my smile leaving my mouth as I became curious as to why she'd just been staring. I began slowly reaching for the microscope as I saw her blind. I noticed that she almost raised her eyes up to mine, but stopped herself, reaching the microscope herself. I let her grab it, watching as she pulled it over to herself.

"No, I'll go ahead," she said,and I almost groaned as blood flowing to her cheeks, painting them a wonder shade of red. My throat burned for a moment as she grabbed the first slide, placing it under the microscope. I was surprised, however, she she took the quickest glance, not even adjusting the scope to a size that would actually let her see it. She reached for the paper as she picked up her pen.

"Prophase," she said, and went to write it down. I had to stop her. There was no way she could be right after that barest glance she'd given the slide.

"Do you mind if I look?" I asked, going to stop her and catching her hand before she could right it down. We both gasped. I did so because, while he hand felt like molten fire to me, I'd been stung as though she had some sort of electric current running though her. She gasped, though, because my skin was cold. I couldn't think of any other reason other than that, because she immediately jerked her hand from mine. It hurt me a bit, but it didn't surprise me. Why would she want to touch a monster like me? I felt some remorse as well, for startling her like that.

"Sorry," I muttered, pulling my hand back immediately. I grabbed the microscope, feeling her eyes on me as I did my best to ignore her, looking through the microscope as well. She didn't even bother to wait for me to see what it was, writing down what she had said as I did so. It seemed she had good reason to do so, though, as I saw that she was right.

"Prophase," I agreed. I swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.

"Anaphase," I murmured, reaching for the worksheet.

"May I?" she asked, keeping my voice indifferent. I smirked, thinking that she wanted to try and prove me wrong. I pushed it towards her as I snagged the worksheet, grabbing my own pen to write down my answer. I noticed that her handwriting was messy, though she wrote in a sort of cursive way. It was nice, and readable, despite the messiness of it.

I was a bit surprised when she took the slide from the microscope, looking at it as she handed it to me. I realized that I hadn't bothered to put the box where we could both reach it, which was why she was handing it to me.

"Third slide, please," she said. I wouldn't lie; I was a bit disappointed that she hadn't tried to prove me wrong. I took the slide from her, being careful not to touch her. I didn't want to see her repulsion again. Handing her the next slide, I saw that she, again, only took the barest glance.

"Interphase," she mutter, taking the paper from me to write it down. I saw her look at my handwriting for a moment, and wondered what she thought of it. I wrote in a sort of calligraphy way, as I'd been brought up to do by my biological parents.

I took the microscope as she wrote, replacing the slide as she'd done, though I did cheat a bit my looking at it as I did so, seeing that, again, she was right. We did this until we had all of them done, and I neatly placed the microscope, box, and worksheet at the top of our desk. I saw her roll her eyes when she noticed that some of the people in class had their books open under the table.

I noticed that she was tense once more, looking everywhere now that we were done. Before I could say anything, I saw Mr. Banner see that we were done and head over to us. He glanced at the completed lab, the took the worksheet, staring intently at the answers. I heard his surprise in seen that there were two different handwriting styles on the paper, for he wondered how that could be. He knew that I was smart, but he didn't know anything about Bella, it seemed. Then, he seemed to come to a realization, the wrong one.

"So, Edward, did you have Isabella write some of these answers so that it looked like she participated in the lab?" he asked, his voice heavy with disapproval. I saw Bella's mouth drop at the assumption, and I felt a bit angry that he would be so dismissive of Bella like that. Just because I was smart didn't mean I was the only one in this class. If Bella had been going to this school for longer than a few weeks, I could understand his thoughts, but she was from Phoenix. I knew for a fact that they had things like advanced classes. He should actually think before saying things like that.

"Bella," I corrected automatically. "And no, I didn't. In fact, I have the feeling that, if I wasn't here, she could have done the whole lab herself."

Mr. Banner looked skeptical at her. I saw, in his mind, that she was glaring at him, obviously angered now. I had to admit, her glare was scary, and he believed the same thing, for it had frightened him – he blanched, then looked away from her, clearing his throat.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked, looking anywhere but her.

She nodded. "I did it with the whitefish blastula, though," she answered. I saw, when he took a glance at her, that she was still glaring at him, and I wondered just how long she'd do that.

"Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?" he asked, no not interested in looking at her at all.

"Yes," she said. He was silent for a moment as he placed the worksheet down onto the table.

"Well," he finally said, "I guess it's a good thing you two are lab partners."

He hurried away, though I heard him mumble "So the other students will have a chance at doing this on their own," as he walked away. Bella began rummaging through her bag, looking for something. I thought about something to say, anything to say, when I remembered something I'd heard in Angela's mind when she and her had first left their class and seen the snow.

It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" I said, distracting her from her search, as she stopped moving. She looked puzzled at me, as if wondering why I would suddenly start talking about the weather.

"Not really," she said, and I could hear the stark honesty in her voice. I was glad that she was speaking to me.

"You don't care much for the cold." It came out more of a statement rather than a question, and was apparently the wrong thing to say, for she instantly went on guard. I wondered, exactly, what was so wrong with saying that, what she had to hide. Hiding something was the only thing I could think of that would be the reason for her guard.

"Or the wet," she said cautiously. It was almost as if she was afraid of saying something that would help me unravel who, exactly, she was.

"Then Forks must be a difficult place for you to live in," I said. I couldn't help but wonder, if she didn't care for the cold and wet all that much, why she moved here. I mean, it was obvious that here was the exact definition of what she dislike. It was like this even during summer, though days were a bit warmer.

"You have no idea," she muttered darkly, in a tone that suggested that she hadn't meant for me to hear. This both confused and fascinated me, and I couldn't help but wonder why she'd come here. Was it to become my own personal demon?

"Why did you come here then?" I asked in a demanding tone of voice. I could tell I startled her a bit with the demand. I also had the feeling that no one had bothered to question why she'd suddenly, after living with her mother all these years, decided to come live with her father.

"It's...complicated," she said, and I couldn't help but think that she was trying to convey a message to me. It was like she was asking me not to bother her about it, something that I ignored.

"I think I can keep up," I pressed, to eager to know her to be bothered about the fact that she didn't want to talk about it. Both of my mothers would probably be ashamed of me for doing this.

"My mother got remarried," she suddenly blurted out, as if without thought. I wondered if that was what she meant to say, but she continued talking. "I figured that she would like to spend more quality time with her new husband."

"And she couldn't do that with you there?" I asked. I couldn't help but think that it sounded rather selfish of her mother, to kick her out of her house because she wanted to play pretend in not having a daughter.

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living," she explained, quickly adding, "Strictly minor league," when I was about to ask if I'd heard of him. "He has to move around a lot. Since I'm in school, my mother had to stay home with me, and it cut into the time she had to spend with him. So, I voluntarily sent myself here. Figured that it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." Her voice sounded a bit glum by the end of the explanation, and I couldn't help but think about how selfless she was, sacrificing her own happiness for her mother's. However, I didn't find it that fair.

"But now you're unhappy," I pointed out. "That doesn't seem to be very fair."

"Hasn't anyone told you? Life isn't fair," she retorted. I had to admit, that was true. I knew very well how unfair like was. Bella continued talking. "Besides, there's a benefit to living here. No one knows about my accident, or the fact that the doctor..." she ended that with a groan as my mind went into shock. She was in an accident? When? I hadn't heard anything in anyone's mind about this. I felt horrified when I realized that I might not have met her, which puzzled me a little bit.

"What accident?" I immediately asked. I knew my worry and fear for her was evident in my voice, and I was puzzled over it even more. Why should I be fearful and worried about her. Sure, she was an interesting girl, one whose mind I couldn't hear, but that didn't mean I should be as interested in her as I seemed to me.

"Just a little car accident," she said. I couldn't help but think that there was something she was hiding. It was in the way she looked away, fiddling her fingers in a sign of nervousness, a nervousness that usually accompanied lying. I wasn't about to ask her about it, though, as she seemed to be very uncomfortable talking about it. I wondered just how long ago it was, as it was still clearly bothering her. Then, I realized that she had said something else before she had trailed off.

"What did the doctor do?" I asked, my mind immediately going to the worse. I started making plans of finding and killing the guy if he'd done anything inappropriate to Bella, which, from the way she had been acting about it, was very likely.

"It's nothing," she said, surprising me. I couldn't help but wonder if she was one of those victims who'd been so scared of what happened that she couldn't talk about it, or if she was just trying to downplay it. "He just ended up having a heart attack when he was checking on me. I ended up waking up with him sprawled on my bed dead."

Of course, as she said that, I realized that she was simply saying that he'd did nothing inappropriate to her, just ended up dying. I had the feeling that what made her uncomfortable about it was the fact that she'd most likely had woken up to having a dead guy on her body. I felt bad for her, having the feeling that it couldn't have been a pleasant sight to wake up to.

I nodded, showing that I understood what she was say. I began thinking for another topic to talk to her about, though I really wanted to ask about the accident some more, when she spoke up.

"So, when did you get contacts?" she asked. I was puzzled by her sudden question.

"I didn't get contacts," I said.

"Oh. Your eyes were black when I saw you the last time. I was just wondering about the change," she said, so lightly that one would think that she was just making a comment. I, however, immediately knew that there was something else to it. It sounded, to me, more like a warning, as if she was saying that she knew there was something about myself I was hiding, and that she'd pry if I attempted to continue to prying into her life. I shrugged in answer to her statement, turning away, like I had when she'd mentioned my mistake about her name. This was yet another mistake I'd made, one that I wouldn't have made if I'd been able to read her mind.

Mr. Banner began to speak once more, which kept me from saying anything to her, though, at the moment, I couldn't. I was also in my mind, wondering what she might know about me. Or was it just the fact that my eyes could change colors the only thing she did know. I also had to fight a bit for control of myself. Now that I was distracted by talking to her, my throat was flaring with pain, my monster wanting to be free to drink her sweet smelling blood. I ended up hurrying from the class once again, and it wasn't until I was almost halfway to my next class that a thought occurred to me, one that stopped me dead in my tracks.

How had she known my eyes were a different color, when the only time she'd looked into them was from across the school parking lot, too far away for her to have seen them clearly?

This was a mystery I'd have to wonder about for a while.

---

 

She wasn't at school the next day.

I waited in the parking lot, waited for her to arrive up until the bell rang. I was dejected as I walked to my first class, not paying attention to the teachers at all as I listened, waiting to hear the roar of Bella's truck. I was lucky that they didn't notice my distraction.

When luck came around, and I saw Angela walk in alone, a bit dejected herself, I knew that she wasn't going to just appear. The day was half over already, and she wouldn't have just left Angela alone as she has. I saw Angela start to go to the usual table that she and Bella sat at when Jessica grabbed her, pulling her over to the table with her and Lauren. Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley, and Eric Yorkie all came over as well, pretty much surrounding and keeping Angela from being allowed to leave.

They started grilling her on Bella, asking all kinds of personal questions, and I immediately realized that Angela was the only person that Bella actually willingly talked to. I was a bit surprised about that, but also glad. Angela had one of the nicest minds ever, and was also one of the most down to earth and unobtrusive people in the school. She was a good friend for Bella to have, a friend who was now getting harassed because of it. I wondered if they tried this before, but the, catching some of Jessica's thoughts, I realized that they were a bit afraid of Bella. There was something unsettling about her that scared them.

Angela refused to tell them anything that Bella may have told her, though, really, Bella didn't seem to talk much, based on Angela's thoughts. She was finally able to get out of that crowd, forgoing eating in favor of getting away from them. Her thoughts seemed to speak of having been overwhelmed by them. While she used to always sit with them before Bella came, they usually ignored her, even going so far as to speak as if she wasn't there.

And she'd been okay with that. She wasn't one for attention, and the only reason why she had even sat with them to begin with was because she'd been 'friends' with Jessica since they were little, and bullies tended to go after those who sat alone. Her sitting with Bella was mostly because she felt more at ease with her, and safe too, for Bella had a look about that kept bullies from approaching her.

Now, though, with the fact that she was the only person Bella talked to, and Jessica and Lauren both felt the need to have gossip about Bella, it seemed that Angela had become person number one to talk to. And she was extremely uncomfortable about the fact.

I was a bit concerned for the fact that Angela hadn't been able to get something to eat, so I grabbed the apple and water I'd gotten for lunch – and it didn't escape my mind hat I'd grabbed the same meal that Bella had the previous day – and headed to the biology room, where Angela was now at. Alice, who noticed what I was doing, gave me a smile and a nod, letting me know that she approved of my actions. Making my way over to her, I placed the apple and water bottle on the table next to her.

She jumped a bit, not having heard me come up to her. She was a bit uncomfortable to see that it was me, but was polite.

“Thanks,” she said, sounding confused as to why I'd brought her something to eat and drink.

“I noticed you didn't really have time to get something to eat before getting...accosted by the others,” I told her. I saw her understanding what I was talking about.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Your welcome,” I told her. I loitered around her desk for a moment, wondering if I should ask what was going through my mind or not. She seemed to notice this, and had a feeling she knew why.

“I take it that you want to ask something about Bella,” she said.

“I was just wondering why she didn't come to school today,” I said.

“I don't know,” Angela said. “I'm assuming she's sick. I don't get the feeling that she's the type to skip school for no reason, but I could be wrong.”

“Oh,” I said.

“I plan on going to her house later, to let her know what she's missed today, so I'll find out if she's sick for sure,” Angela told me.

“Um, if she is, can you let her know that I hope she get's well soon?” I asked her.

“Will do,” she said, smiling. I returned it, though not overdoing it so that I didn't scare her. I headed to my desk, sitting down and pulling out my textbook. I decided to take extensive notes for Bella, so that she'd have them when Angela went over to her house later. I noticed that, in her mind, she was thinking about how sweet of me it was to ask about Bella, and she wondered if, perhaps, I had a crush on her.

That brought me up a bit short, but I hardly thought about it as the other students began to arrive. Angela, who'd finished the apple I'd brought her, as well as the water, got up and threw the core away before going back to her desk. Lauren and Mike both entered the room not long after, their thoughts similar but different. Lauren was mad that she was unable to get anything from Angela, hoping to discover something she could twist and spread around about Bella, while Mike was moaning that he wanted to know what Bella thought of him. He was 'sure' that she liked him, and wanted Angela to have confirmed it.

After the class was done, I put the notes I'd done into a pile, wondering when I should give them to Angela when I realized that it wouldn't be a good idea. Considering how people had been acting since Bella wasn't here, I had the feeling she would not appreciate me coming up to her asking to give something to Bella for me. That would most likely cause people to surround her even more, and she was extremely uncomfortable when it came to that.

So I couldn't get the notes I'd made for Bella through her.

I frowned, wondering how I'd get her these notes, then I realized that I could just wait for her to come back, and, if she didn't by the end of the week, I could easily go see her myself. I had to admit, I liked that plan a bit better, and put the notes away, heading to my next class, which I spent ignoring Emmett – who was wondering why I left the cafeteria so early – and drew a picture of Bella.

---

 

As I waited for the others to finish getting ready, I passed by Carlisle, who was frowning at something he was reading.

“What is it?” I asked.

Some guy went missing the night before last in Port Angeles he said. According to what the police have uncovered, he left after some female did. According to the bartender, he doesn't remember what she looked like exactly, but he did describe her as being extremely beautiful, and having dark hair. He remembered hoping to have a good time with her, but she left before he could get off work.

“Do you think it was one of our kind?” I asked.

“I'm not sure,” Carlisle said. “I believe that Alice would have warned us if she saw a vampire close to us.”

“Of course I would,” Alice said. “And I didn't see anything like this.”

“Well, will you keep an eye out, then. Hopefully, we can find out what's going on,” Carlisle said. This isn't the first person to go missing, after all.

“There are more,” I said. He sighed, but nodded.

“It's all in the Seattle area, though,” he explained. “I wasn't too worried, but now...”

“They're getting close,” Alice said.

“It seems that way,” Carlisle said. “We'll have to keep them from coming here. I know that the wolves are gone, but if there are probably some Quileutes to still know and believe their legends. If they happen to hear of this, they'll probably believe that it's us doing it.”

We nodded. Me, because, I knew that the wolves had been suspicious, and Alice because she had heard about them, as had Jasper.

“At least they're gone so we don't have to smell them,” Rosalie muttered as she came down the stairs, Emmett and Jasper right behind her. I had to admit, I agreed with her on that end. At least we didn't have to smell them. They had smelt terrible.

Bella was, again, not at school, and Angela, again, was forced to miss eating lunch because Lauren and Jessica, with their entire group, refused to leave her alone. I ended up bringing her something to eat again – this time, the grilled cheese sandwiches they'd been serving and another water – and talked to her a bit. I asked her how Bella was, and she told me that she was sick, and had sounded horrible when they'd talk. I also heard, in her mind, that Bella really did not like the idea of someone seeing her sick, as she had locked herself in her bedroom, and refused to come out.

I nodded, told her that I really hoped Bella would be well tomorrow, and went to my seat, just as Lauren and Mike entered. Lauren was...suspicious of why I was there with just Angela, but, luckily, didn't notice that Angela was actually eating something. I ignored Lauren as she turned towards me, though I heard her thinking about how pissed she was that I wasn't paying attention to her, as I should be, in her mind.

I thought about going my Bella's house myself, just to see how she was doing, but decided not to. I barely knew her, so it would probably look strange if I did. Maybe the next time she was sick... And I couldn't actually believe that I was thinking that. I shouldn't want to be around her, shouldn't even be thinking about her as much as I have been.

I was getting in way to deep in thinking about Bella, and I didn't want to stop.

---

 

I was almost thinking that today would be much like the previous day as I waited, with Alice, in the parking lot, hoping that Bella's truck would pull in sometime soon. I hadn't thought to ask Alice about Bella, not wanting to be disappointed if it turned out she wasn't going to be back for a while. So when I heard the thunderous chugging of her truck's engine off in the distance, I couldn't help but be relieved and happy. It seemed that today was going to be different than the last few days. I wondered what Bella had been thinking about me these last few days just as I had of her.

I leaned against my car, watching as Bella easily pulled into the parking lot. She took a spot several cars down from where I was. She didn't seem to notice me staring at her, and I wondered when she would. She carefully got out of her car, and seemed like she was about to start heading towards school when something in the back of her truck caught her eye. I noticed that she had snow chains on, probably put on by her father, and that she had just noticed them. The sight of them seemed to make her...emotional, as if she wasn't used to having someone do something like that for her.

“No!” I suddenly heard Alice shriek, and immediately, I was accosted by the vision within her mind. I saw Tyler Crowley's van turning into the parking lot at an injudicious speed, which would send him skidding across the ice. The vision happened a split second before the reality happened. Tyler's van rounded the corner just as the reason for Alice's cry became clear.

The van's tires had hit the ice at the worse possible angle, and was going to spin and hit the girl who was quickly becoming the uninvited focal point of my world. Even without the vision, it would be easy to read the trajectory of the vehicle.

Bella seemed to finally notice that something was wrong, and looked up as she heard the screeching of the tires. I saw her look around, her eyes touching upon my horror struck face, and then, finally, at the van, where her own face became horrified. I waited to see if she would move for a moment, but she seemed frozen in place, and I knew that she wouldn't. Even if she did unfreeze, she wouldn't get out of way in time to be avoided getting hit.

Not her! The words seemed to shout through my mind, as if they were being shouted by someone else. I vaguely realized that Alice's vision had shifted, as well as the fact that the rest of the family had started heading towards us after hearing Alice's shriek. I saw Bella's eyes looked away from the van, though I didn't really pay attention to where they looked. I smashed into her, not being as gentle as I should as I pushed her out of harms way, wincing as I heard her head crack against the ground. I winced as it sounded as if her skull had actually cracked a bit.

Before I could ascertain her condition, I heard the van behind us, behind us, grating and squealing as it twisted around the sturdy iron of her truck. It was changing course, arcing, coming towards her as if she was a magnet, pulling it towards us. I wasn't able to stop myself from uttering a word that should never be said in front of a lady.

I had already done too much, as I had nearly flown through the air to push her out of the way. I fully knew the mistake I was making, though knowing it didn't stop me. I wasn't oblivious to the risk I was taking, not only for myself, but my family; it was the risk of exposure. And what I was going to do certainly wasn't going to help keep it from happening, but I couldn't allow the van to succeed in a second attempt of her life.

I turned with her still in my arms, her back against my chest, while my hands caught the van before it could touch her. The force of it threw me back into the car behind us, and I felt the structure dent to the form of my shoulder. It was then, as I held the van in the air, that I realized that it would crush her legs if I let the van go. I nearly groaned out loud from the realization.

Before I could do anything, though, I saw her move her legs towards herself of her own accord. I knew my face showed my confusion as I let the van go, re-wrapping my arms around her almost instinctively. The van hit the ground with a loud, metallic groan, causing her to wince as the window shattered and rained glass on us. She turned, burying her face in my chest to protect it from the glass shower.

There was silence for a few moments before the screaming started. I looked towards Bella, who was conscious, looking at the van. She had a look of worry on her face.

“Bella,” I said. She didn't seem to hear me at first.

“Bella? Are you alright?” I repeatedly asked, trying to get her attention. She finally seemed to notice that I was talking, for she turned towards me a bit.

“I'm fine,” she said, and she sounded completely truthful. She tried to move from my arms, which hurt me a bit from the way she seemed to insist on doing so. I was surprised, though, when she actually managed to move my arms away from her without my help.

“Be careful,” I said, as she got free of my arms. “I think you hit your head pretty hard.”

“Not really,” she told me, using my shoulders to reposition herself so that she was actually sitting more comfortably in my lap. I immediately had to think of something else, the movement actually causing a problem for me. I'd never actually been effected by a female before, and wasn't expecting the slight movement from Bella to elicit the response. I was glad that she stopped moving pretty quickly, as it allowed me a chance to calm down without her noticing my response.

I saw her looking around, and noticed, as she did, that we were kind of boxed in at the moment. I could move us out of here, but people were definitely paying attention right now, and it wouldn't be a good idea to do. I could already hear the thoughts of my family, from Jasper's wonder what I was thinking, to Rosalie's vitriol over what she was going to do to me once she got her hands on me.

“How in the world did you get over here so fast?” she asked me as she rested her head against my shoulder. It took all I had not to freeze from the question, and I wondered why she was laying on me as well. Not that I was complaining. It felt nice to know that she didn't mind my cold skin seeping through her clothes. Of course, I had to kill my hopes that she didn't mind by thinking about the fact that the ground was covered in glass at the moment, and couldn't really be all that pleasant to sit on.

“I was standing right next to you, Bella,” I lied, trying to be serious. I thought I felt her head move in a manner that made me think of someone rolling their eyes, but she moved the next moment, so I thought I imagined it. I saw her look a bit irritated, and open her mouth a bit, and wondered what she was going to do. However, before she could do anything, I heard Mr. Banner say something to us.

“Don't move,” he ordered, and Bella went back to her relaxing position, a bit of a pout on her face that I doubted she even realized she had. However, there was a tenseness in her body, and I had the feeling that she was prepared to get up the minute she could.

"Get Tyler out of the van!" someone else yell. There was a flurry of activity around us as the screaming finally began to calm down.

"You do know that I know your lying, right?" she suddenly said, causing me to tense. "I mean, I know you were by your car, next to your sister Alice."

"No, I wasn't," I told her said, my expression turning hard. I saw her do a quick glance over her shoulder.

"Yes, you were. I saw you." Her expression was stubborn, but not very effective. Since she kept her gaze from connecting with my eyes, I couldn't see if she was actually being serious or not.

"Bella, I was standing right here with you, and I pulled you out of the way when I saw the van," I said, trying to convince her that was what had happened. We were speaking low enough that my family couldn't actually hear us, otherwise they'd be determined to rid of her so that there was no threat to us, despite that she wasn't one.

"No," she said, and she seemed to be fighting not to look me in the eyes. I couldn't help but wonder why she was so determined not to, what was so important about not looking me in the eye.

"Please, Bella..." I begged. I heard Mr. Banner whispering to Coach Clapp, talking about whether they should try to get the van moved, or if they should wait for the paramedics to come. I could also hear he sirens far off into the distance, though they were definitely getting closer.

"Why?" she demanded.

"Trust me," I pleaded, my voice soft. The sirens were definitely closer now, meaning that we would soon be interrupted. Hopefully, once they got here, I'd be able to get her onto a stretcher, so that there was no way people would believe her if she told. I knew that she had hit her head, even if she was acting like she hadn't. It would be my excuse as to why she was confused.

"Promise to explain it to me later?" she said, shifting so that she could be ready to stand up, as I heard Mr. Banner mention that there were two students between the van and tan car. He insistence made me a bit mad.

“Fine,” I snapped. I heard her huffily puff, and she finally looked me in the eyes. Immediately, I began to get drawn in, my irritation and anger flowing away as my desire for her grew. It took all I had not to lean forward and press my lips to hers. After at least a minute of looking in her eyes, she finally released me form her gaze, and confusion took place in my mind. What had just happened? I had no idea what had seemed to possess me for the moment. It was as if looking her in the eye had made me lose my ability to think about anything other than her, and the want I had to press my lips to hers and taste her.

It took six paramedics and two teachers to shift the van far away enough to bring stretchers in. I heard Bella groaned out loud, before she quickly stood and refused the stretcher they offered for her. As her not being in the stretcher wasn't helpful to my plan, I told them that she'd hit her head pretty hard. She glared viciously at me, actually scaring my a bit, before she continued to refuse it, slapping off hands that tried to push her down onto it. Finally, she actually managed to stump them and men when she mentioned that she wouldn't be able to stand perfectly and walk around as she doing at the moment without being dizzy if she had actually hit her head. She'd returned to glaring at me after they realized she was right and left her alone, turning towards me. I had just refused that I needed one when she suddenly spoke.

"But Edward, you hit your shoulder rather hard on the tan car there," she said, sounding concern. A look at her face was all I needed to know that she was trying not to laugh as I tried to say I didn't need the stretcher. However, when I realized that one of them saw the dent I'd made into the tan car – it was shoulder-shaped – I realized that fighting wouldn't do any good. I pretended to wince every now and then as they strapped me down, just so it looked like I did have a hurt shoulder.

I glared at Bella as they rolled me away, aware of just how this would look. When my family caught sight of me, they were all shocked, save for Alice, who was quietly laughing her head off.

You should have seen your face when she turned your plan against you she thought, still laughing, though she calmed down a bit as Bella looked over in that direction. As I was loaded into the ambulance, I was a bit surprised when Bella insisted on driving in back with me. I was also a bit disgruntled, because I was still upset with her for having caused me to be strapped down to a stretcher.

Before was closed, I heard Alice speak to Bella.

"Edward's cell is in the bag," she told her. I wondered why Alice told Bella that. I saw that Bella seemed to immediately know why, for she nodded to her. Alice gave her a smile, looked back at me, and then let out a giggle again. I still can't believe she managed to make sure you ended up on a stretcher she thought as she looked back at Bella. Bella smirked at her, and I saw her mouth 'that's what he gets for trying to trap me on one of these things' to Alice, who gave a tinkling laugh as she backed away. The door shut then, and Bella settled down right next to to me.

"Hope you enjoy the ride," she said to me lightly, talking lowly so that no one else could hear. She seemed glad about something, and I had a feeling it was because she was proud of her handiwork in making it seem like I'd been hurt badly. I glared at her some more, but she was unaffected by it, and, after having seen her glare, I could understand why. Her's was very impression, particularly compared to mine.

"So," she said, lifting my bag to her lap. "Which pocket is your cell in?"

My irritation came back as I wondered why she needed to know that.

"Come on, Edward," she said. "There is someone I have to call. If you don't tell me which pocket, then I'll have to search for the phone myself."

I still didn't answer, not believing that she actually would do it.

"Alright, guess I'll have to search for it myself," she said, her hand heading for one of the zippers. "Wonder what else I'll find in here."

I realized then that she wasn't kidding, and, not wanting her to see the picture I'd drawn of her, I spoke up.

"Front pocket, I gritted out, unhappy that I was giving in to her. She smiled at me, pulling my phone out as she did so.

"There," she said, "that wasn't so hard, now was it?" I glowered at her once again. I watched as she activated the phone, doing something. I wondered what she was looking at, and then, after a few more seconds, I heard the sound that accompanied after I'd called a number. I stared at her, incredulous, as she held the phone to her ear, wondering who she was actually calling.

"Who are you calling?" I hissed. she held up a finger as the phone was answered.

"Edward?" a smooth voice that I immediately recognized answered. My eyes went wide as I heard the voice of my father coming through the phone. It took me a few moments to realize that she had decided to call Carlisle so that he wouldn't be blindsided about seeing me hurt – as any human would assume would happen if seeing their child on a stretcher – and I felt ashamed from the way I had been acting. She was just trying to be nice, and I had been a stubborn jerk. Both Esme and my biological mother would probably be ashamed of my behavior if they'd seen it.

"Dr. Cullen," she said. "This is Bella Swan, a classmate of Edward's. I'm calling to let you know that there was an accident at the school involving Edward and myself, and we'll be arriving at the hospital soon. Edward will be one of the people on the stretchers if you want to know."

She hung up almost immediately after that, before Carlisle could say anything.

"You're father has a nice voice," she told me as she slipped the phone back into it's pocket. I gave her a weird look, then clear my throat.

"Um, thank you, for letting my father know," I said.

"Your welcome," she said. "Although, you know, you could have done it yourself. I mean, if you hadn't tried to have them strap me down to a gurney, I wouldn't have mentioned you hitting your shoulder."

I frowned at her. While I had been hoping to use the excuse to explain away anything she might say to someone else, I was also honestly worried about it. I mean, I had heard it crack against the ground, hard enough that she should be dizzy and probably have a concussion. Yet, she had been walking around like nothing had happened, and still looked like that. I shook my head, wondering about it all.

We pulled up in front of the hospital, and I immediately heard Carlisle's thoughts. What did she mean, 'Edward will be one of the people on the stretchers'? There's no way he could have been hurt. Edward, can you hear me yet? I couldn't confirm that I was okay to him yet, for I had a feeling that Bella would notice if I said anything. I watched as she got out, right before I was pulled out. I noticed when Carlisle saw me, looking worried.

Why are you in the stretcher he asked me. However, realizing that I couldn't actually answer him at the moment – there were too many people around us – he stepped forward, asking out loud, “What happened?”

Bella ended up answering him.

"He hit his shoulder on the side of a tan car hard enough to leave a dent," she told him in a voice just loud enough for him to hear, though none of the other doctors were really paying attention anyway, causing him to notice her for the first time.

"I take it that you're Bella," he said. She nodded her head. "I'm Dr. Cullen, Edward's father."

Somehow, I think she could have figured that out on her own. As several paramedics came to take me into the hospital, Carlisle waved them off, stating he'd take of of me himself, and letting me up from the stretcher. He led me to his office, and I heard Bella follow behind us, stopping at a certain point a few feet away from the door, though she'd still be able to see when it opened. I had the feeling that she wasn't going to just let me get away without answering whatever questions she had for me. I didn't like the idea.

What happened Carlisle asked once he'd closed the door. I knew what it was that he really wanted from me.

“A stupid car accident, with her in the wrong place at the wrong time,” I told him, my voice low. I was being a bit paranoid, but I didn't want anyone to hear what I was saying. “But I just couldn't stand there – couldn't let it hit her...”

“Start at the beginning,” he commanded.

“One of the other students entered the parking lot too fast, started skidding across the ice,” I started. I didn't look at him as I spoke, choosing instead to stare at the door. If I concentrated hard enough, I was able to pick out where Bella shifted unhappily against the wall a few feet from us. “She was in the way. Alice saw it coming. I wasn't planning on doing what I did, but when I noticed that she was frozen, there really wasn't anything for me to do but run across the lot and push her out of the way. No one noticed...except for her. I had to stop the van, too, but again, no one saw that...beside her.”

I lowered my head, a bit ashamed. “I'm sorry, Carlisle. I didn't mean to put us in danger.”

He placed his hand on my shoulder, his thoughts in a bit of a turmoil as he tried to figure out why I'd felt like I had to save her.

You did the right thing he said, once he'd gathered his thoughts. And it couldn't have been easy for you. I'm proud of you, Edward. But how did you end up on a stretcher? I could hear a bit of humor in his inner voice as he thought about how I'd arrived. Now that we were here in his office, he could safely show his amusement over it. I looked him in the eye.

“I could have sworn I heard her hit her head. In fact, I'm sure she did, because I could have sworn I heard her skull actually crack,” I said. “So I mentioned it to one of the paramedics. She managed to get out of being in one by using some very sound logic, but when I tried to deny needing one, she told them that I'd hit my shoulder on the car next to us. I tried denying it, but one of the paramedics noticed the dent that my shoulder had left, and I couldn't continue my objections without giving away that I was human.” I shook my head. “I had to admit, I was amazed at how she turned that on me. She even admitted in the van that the only reason why she did so was because I tried to have them strap her down.”

Carlisle cracked a smile at my 'misfortune'.

“Sounds like she's rather smart,” he said.

“She is, from what I can tell,” I told him. Then, I sighed. “And she knows that there's something...strange about me.”

“It doesn't matter,” he said. “If we have to move, we'll move. What has she said?”

Before I could say anything, I heard Tyler's inner voice as he noticed Bella, right before I heard his actual voice speak to her.

"Bella, I'm so sorry!" he said as he got closer to where she stood. I heard the nurse who was pushing him huff at his insistence that they stop so that he could talk to Bella, though she did as he wanted.

"I'm fine, Tyler," Bella told him, avoiding the outstretched hand that he tried to grab her with. I almost growled when I saw him do that. He didn't have a right to touch her.

"I thought I was going to kill you! I was going to fast, and I hot the ice wrong..." he trailed off.

"You missed me, so don't worry about it," she placated him.

"How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there one minute, and then you were gone," Tyler said.

And here is where we find out what she'll say to him Carlisle though, knowing that this would be the deciding factor of whether they moved or not.

“There's no way she can't say I didn't pull her out of the way,” I muttered to him. “The whole school saw me on the stretcher.”

So we need to see what she'll say about you, particularly if he asks about you he thought instead.

"Edward pulled me out of the way." she said.

I heard his confusion over my name. "Who?" he asked.

"Edward Cullen, one of the Cullen kids," she answered.

"Cullen? I didn't see him..." Tyler said, trailing off as search his memory, trying to remember if I was there or not. My eyes widened as I realized that there was no way for people to believe that I was right next to her at the time this happened, as many of them had been looking at her moments before the van almost hit her, and that, if he continued to think about it, he'd be able to realize that himself. I'd already seen a flash in his memory that showed that he'd seen where I was before he started going out of control.

"Yeah, he was coming over because he had a question he wanted to ask me," Bella said, as if able to sense where Tyler's thoughts were going, and, strangely enough, protecting me by coming up with a more believable story. "When he saw your van, he kind of hurried over and pulled me out of the way, which was rather lucky for me. You would have hit me otherwise."

She's protecting you Carlisle said. I don't think we'll have to move, if she's willing to hide that for you. However, we'll discuss this with the rest of the family. She could end up changing her mine.

“I don't think she will,” I told him, as Tyler asked if I was okay.

"Um, he got a little banged up," she answered, sounding, once again, completely honest. Carlisle couldn't help the chuckle that ran through him.

I don't think I can send you back to school he thought. And I'll most likely have to say that you did get hurt a bit. But at least she didn't say you were unhurt, since people saw you in the stretcher. They don't put perfectly healthy and unhurt people in stretchers. Though, I thought you said she noticed?

“She did,” I told him.

Then, is that what you told her he asked.

“Somewhat,” I told him. “I actually tried to convince her that I had been right next to her, before we were 'freed'. I'm just as surprised as you are that she said that, though it is a better story than what I told her. It makes more sense, anyway.”

He nodded to me at that. We'll talk about this with the rest of the family once I get back home. I'll call Esme to tell her that you'll be there earlier than the others, and not to let the others bug you. You can go hunting or something if you don't want to hear their thoughts, though.

I nodded. “Okay,” I said. He walked towards the door, opening it and leading me out. Bella saw us immediately, walking over to us.

“He all right?” she asked Carlisle, though the look on her face seemed to say that she already knew the answer to that. I felt a little warmth, though, to hear her wondering how I was.

"Oh, he bruised his shoulder pretty well, but that'll go away with some ice," Carlisle said. "I want you to go straight home, though, all right, son? No going back to school."

"Okay," I said. Carlisle headed down the hallway after that, and Bella looped her arm through mine, as if to make sure I didn't try and run before she was able to ask her questions.

"Ready to talk?" she asked. I was immediately annoyed. Why couldn't she just let it go? I even considered brushing her off, but, knowing that I couldn't put this 'talk' off, I led her to another hallway, a deserted one. Once there, I shook myself free of her grip, spinning around while pretending to be hostile and annoyed. She didn't appear to actually believe it, though, for she wasn't as intimidated as I'd hoped. Still, I couldn't break character. I had to act like a villain. I had to lie, ridicule, and be downright cruel to her, in order to make her forget what I had done.

"What do you want?" I asked, making sure that I sounded annoyed.

"You owe me an explanation," she reminded me, quite calmly.

"I saved your life – I don't owe you anything." I made sure that I said that as hostile as possible, sure that she'd end up being intimidated. However, I was surprised when I noticed a look of anger pass over her face for a second before she adopted a neutral look.

"You promised," she said, her tone implying that she liked those who broke such things.

"Bella, I already told you that I was standing next to you..." I started to say once again. I was forced to trail off as she held up a hand, stalling my words.

"First of all, no matter how much you say that, I'll never believe you, so save your breath," she snapped, obviously no longer willing to push her anger back. It took me aback for a second, to see that I'd just made her mad over intimidating her. It was a bit humiliating to know that I couldn't intimidate her. "Of course, I'll tell others something of that caliber as well, though I won't say it like that. I know for a fact that if I did, most of the people I would tell who asked would say that they didn't see you. No offense or anything, but we'd attract attention if we were seen together like you said." Her tone was smug by the end of her spiel. But then, she had the right to be as I clenched my jaw, knowing that she was right. I'd already seen proof of that in Tyler's thoughts, and I was under no disbelief that the other student's would have those same thoughts as well.

"However," she started, her tone changing to a softer one, "that's not what I want to talk to you about. Back in the parking lot, I wasn't asking why I should lie – I already figured that there was a good reason for it.” That surprised and worried me, though I was grateful to know that she was willing to lie for me. “What I was asking was why did you save me. I mean, we don't know each other very well. In fact, we've only talked to each other once. So, why?"

That stumped me. Now that she had asked it, I realized that it was a good question. We barely knew each other, and yet...I remembered what I'd felt when I realized that she was about to get hit, remembered what I'd thought just moments before I ran towards her. The mask that I'd tried to hide behind slipped as I told her, “I don't know.”

I was uncomfortable with the vulnerability I could hear in my voice. It seemed to make her uncomfortable as well, though I couldn't understand why. My eyes were drawn to her lips as she bit her bottom one, looking as if she was trying to find something else to talk about.

"You know, I haven't said thank you, have I?" she suddenly said, stepping forward. I froze, curious and confused over what she was doing. I saw and felt her reaching for my shoulders, using them to help her balance as she brought pushed herself upwards, until her face was level with mine. I didn't move, afraid of what I would do if I did. I even stopped breathing. I saw her take a deep breath, right before she leaned forward. For a second, I thought – well, hoped and prayed – that she was going to kiss my lips, giving me a chance to taste her. The hope was strong when I saw her look at them, but she ended up not doing it. Instead, she brought her face up to my ear, her lips trailing over my cheek as she did so, leaving a burning path. I had to hold back a shiver as I felt her breath against it. T

"Thank you," she whispered, pulling back. Before she went to far, though, she gave me something I'd hoped she would, though not in the way I had wanted it. I felt her lips press against the corner of my mouth, burning me there without fire or pain. Then, while I was still frozen, she lowered herself, letting me go and walking away.

It was a few moments before I could move after that.

---

 

Why did I save her?

After unfreezing myself, I had immediately begun to think about that question, though I got no answer. I had only acted instinctively, only thinking not her. Of course, after heading home to let Esme know that I was okay, and then leaving to my private meadow so that I wouldn't have to listen to the vitriol that I was sure that Rosalie would spew at me.

I hadn't been sure of what reception I'd receive at home from Esme, but she was only a little concerned, and had told me that Carlisle had already called and told her what was going on, as he'd promised to do. It was her who suggested that I actually I stay away until someone came for me, most likely Alice. She'd be the only one able to find me easily.

Meanwhile, I thought, wondering which of them I could trust and which would want Bella dead.

I knew that Carlisle would be on my side, abhorring to any form of bloodshed.

Rosalie...no. I had heard her thoughts back in the parking lot, before she'd been stunned by my appearance, and knew that she would rather Bella dead than anything else.

Jasper, probably not. His instincts would most likely think of Bella as a threat against Alice, and would call for the removal of said threat.

Emmett...maybe. He might side with Rosalie, because she was his mate, but he could also end up surprising me, despite that. I knew that he wouldn't like the idea of killing an innocent simply because she just happened to have an idea that I wasn't normal. He'd probably be willing to give me – and therefore her – a chance to see what she'd do before making up his mind.

Esme...I'd like to say yes, because she didn't care for killing any more than Carlisle did. However, I knew that she'd do anything to keep the family together, her first priority being to do that. If killing Bella would make sure that happened, she'd agree to it.

Alice was really the only factor that I was unsure of. I had a feeling that it would probably depend on what she saw coming. She'd side with whatever side had the best vision.

Alice, as I had suspected, was the one who came to get me.

It's time she said, giving me nothing else.

“How are the others reacting?” I asked.

Well, Rosalie's on the war path, and Jasper keeps trying to make plans. I told him to stop, and that Carlisle would call a family meeting tonight she said. I growled a bit when I heard that Jasper was making plans, as I knew just what those plans would me. As if knowing what I was thinking of, Alice squeezed my arm. Don't worry. He's only doing it so I'm not in danger. Once he knows not to touch her from me, he'll stop. Oh, and you'll be glad to know that Angela was able to actually eat in the cafeteria today. Most of those who kept bugging her the last two days decided to claim the accident made them faint and ditched.

I was glad to hear that, but mostly, I was worried about how this would go.

I followed Alice into the house, ignoring the chaotic thoughts I could hear. We headed into the dining room which was actually the room we held all family meetings in. It was silent for a few moments as everyone waited for someone to speak.

“I'm sorry,” I finally began, looking around at all of them. “I didn't mean to put any one of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility of my action.”

Rosalie glared balefully at me. “What do you mean, 'take full responsibility'? Are you going to fix it?”

I could see in her mind what she hoped I would do, and quickly said, “Not in the way you want me to. I'm willing to leave now, if it makes things better.” What I didn't say was that I would only truly leave if they left Bella alone.

“No,” Esme said, looking as if her worse fear was going to come true. “No, Edward.”

“I patted her hand, “It would be just a few years, and I would visit every now and then, as well as keep in touch by the phone.”

“Esme's right, though,” Emmett said. “You can't go anywhere right now. That would be the opposite of helping. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever. More than that, we have to know what she's thinking.”

“Alice will catch anything major,” I said, disagreeing with his statement, while also ignoring the fact that they didn't know that I couldn't read her mind. If I mentioned that, then I doubted Rosalie and Jasper would back down from wanting to rid of her.

Carlisle shook his head. “I think Emmett is right, Edward. The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear, anyway. It's all of us leave, or nothing.”

I could tell Rosalie was about to explode at the idea of having to leave sooner than later.

“Okay,” I muttered.

“Now, what we need to know is how much did she actually see,” Carlisle said, turning towards me. “You told me what she saw, but did she actually see it? What was on her mind when it happened, and afterward?”

I winced. Great. There was no way I could hide the fact that I couldn't read her anymore.

“I don't know,” I finally said, after several minutes of silence. “I can't read her mind.”

Rosalie almost did explode at that.

“She won't say anything,” I insisted quickly.

“You don't know that,” Jasper injected.

“I do believe Edward is right about that fact, though,” Carlisle said. “We have already heard her lie about what happened back at the hospital. In fact, she actually came up with a better lie that Edward did.”

“And I believe that she won't say anything because she has something to hide just as much as we do,” I added. No one seemed to hear, though, as Rosalie slapped the table. “Just because she didn't say anything doesn't mean she won't. She probably knew that you would hear her if she tried, and we can't give her the chance to do so. Carlisle, you must see this. Even if we disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind – you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!”

“We've left rumors behind us before,” I reminded her.

“Just rumors and suspicions, Edward. Not eyewitnesses and evidence!” she shouted. And with you not being about to read her mind, we have no idea of what she plans on doing.

“Evidence!” I scoffed. Jasper, whose mind, as I figured, showed he agreed with Rose, nodded his head.

“Rose – ” Carlisle started.

“Let me finish, Carlisle. It doesn't have to be a big production. We know she hit her head – “ she started to say. I had to stop her before she could get it into her head to actually do this, with or without Carlisle's permission. If she tried it, there's be more trouble than she could even accuse me of.

“She didn't, and everyone saw that she hadn't,” I told her, lying slightly, as she actually had. However, as I had tried to mention earlier, Bella had her own secrets to protect, ones that I was planning on finding out myself about. I already had some idea of them – quick healing, some kind of power to distort the mind with – and I was thinking about watching her even more to find out the rest.

Rose, who didn't believe me at all, turned toward Carlisle, who nodded his head.

“Edward's right, Rose,” he said. “Her coming to the hospital was only as a companion to Edward, not for her own self.”

“But...I heard her head hit the ground,” she said, Jasper mentally agreeing with her. Emmett, who had been the last of my sibling to come back outside from the school, was the one who said, “Rose, she was walking, of her own free will, to the ambulance. If she had hit her head, she would have been strapped down, like Edward had been. Remember, it shocked the hell out of all of us when we saw that.”

Rose's eyes widened as she realized that he was right. Jasper, unhappy at the fact that they wouldn't be able to use a head injury for an easy kill for her.

“The question,” Carlisle said, bringing the discussion back around to what we actually needed to be talking about, “is should we move now?”

“No,” Rose immediately said. As she began complaining about having to start all over sooner, I began to pay more attention to Jasper's mind.

“Jasper, stop,” I told him. “She won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow it.” I knew the others could hear us, but Rosalie was too into her rant to want to stop.

She benefits from it then Jasper thought. She should have died today, Edward. I would only set that right.

I repeated my word. “I will not allow it.”

His eyebrows shot up. He wasn't expecting this – he hadn't imagined that I would act to stop him, something that confused him. He couldn't understand why I was being so protective of her, in the same way that he was of Alice.

He shook his head once. I will not allow Alice to live in danger. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward. You don't understand.

I”m not disputing that, Jasper. But I'm telling you now, I won't allow you to hurt Isabella Swan,” I said blandly. We stared at each other, not glaring, but measuring the opposition. I felt him sample the mood around me, testing my determination.

“Jazz,” Alice said, interrupting us. “Your not going to hurt her. We're going to be best friends, after all.”

I, kind of eagerly, tuned into her mind, wondering what she'd seen. I saw that it was her and Bella, their arms locked around one another, looking for all the world as best friends. The vision was mostly solid, though, for some reason, Bella was going in and out of focus, like a slowly flashing light that never quite actually died down. When she was in the picture, she was blurred just a bit as well.

As I went to pull out of Alice's mind, another vision she'd had flashed through it, once that I knew that she hadn't meant for me to see. The accidental vision had me shaking my head.

“That's not going to happen,” I told her. “I won't let it.”

I could hear everyone else's confusion as they wondered what it was that suddenly had me changing tacks. However, I wasn't sure I could explain it. How could I tell that that she'd seen Bella running, at vampire speed, through the forest beside me, smiling and laughing. Just the thought of Bella being one of us...it saddened me, seeing that I would end up stealing her life like that.

“It's going to happen, just as you wanting to be with her will,” she said, showing a small vision of me and Bella together. In the vision, I watched as I leaned down, brushing my lips to Bella's. The vision actually exhilarated me, but the idea of actually turning her...

Emmett howled with laughter as he realized what it was that Alice was saying.

“You mean Edward's going to fall for a human,” he laughed, finding the idea entirely funny.

Rosalie, on the other hand, thought of it in the exact opposite way, and was just about to explode. I quickly left before that happened, not wanting to hear what she had to say, and to sort out of my own thoughts about it. I just ran, without direction, though I stayed in the Forks forests. I just really needed a quiet place to think.

I thought about the visions Alice had let me preview, even if the one was an accident. From the looks of it, she saw me and Bella getting together, as well as he and Bella becoming friend. While I wouldn't purposely stand in the way of the first one – I knew that Bella wished she could have more friends, actually hoping a bit that it would help jump start her human memories or even let her feel as if she had a human life – I couldn't, just couldn't let the second one happen. I couldn't get with Bella, because then she'd end up becoming just like me. I couldn't let that happen.

I knew I would have to find a way to prevent that from happening. I would not let Alice's visions about Bella and I direct me. I could, and would, choose a different path. There was always a choice.

There had to be.

Chapter Text

Bella’s Point of View

---

I was quick in discovering what Alice's warning meant, on the very next day, in fact.

It was very interesting, following the accident. I had people asking if I was okay right and left, though that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. This was mostly because I had ended up doing the one thing I hadn't meant to do: place Edward Cullen in the spotlight that I didn't want to be in. I was finding it humorous to watch people flock around him, though they tended to stay away if his family – particularly Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett – were around him. Most people ended up leaving me alone by the time lunch came around the following day. I watched him deal with these same people during the next three weeks.

Of course, just because I wasn't in the spotlight didn't mean that I didn't acquire a new admirer. Tyler seemed not to understand hat I didn't want anything to do with him, having him join my table at lunch uninvited until I stopped going there for two days, giving him a huge hint. Of course, this was only after telling him to leave and not having him listen to a word I said. He now sat at a table close to the one I had made mine, pining away for my attention with my other admirers. Angela was still the only person I actual let stay at my table.

I got to know Alice a bit better. We ended up meeting at least twice a week, for an hour each, as they were the only times that she could get away from Jasper. However, during that hour, we talked a lot. I even learned a few things about vampires, like the fact that they used scent to hunt. That was, in truth, how Alice had been able to keep up with me when I'd ran from her that first time, because I was a bit too fast for her, about 'Edward's speed', according to her. She also told me about the one rule that all vampires had to follow, a rule that actually broke down into many facets. It was the same rule that I myself had to follow as well. Do not tell humans.

She did ask, at some point, if I'd ever gone to Seattle to feed. I shook my head no, wondering why she wanted to know. My answer seemed to disappoint her, as if she was hoping I would. When I asked her what was wrong, she told me about the missing people there, and how her family was worried that it was another vampire, but she couldn't see anything. I bit my lip, having a feeling that I knew who it was, and even told her. She was fascinated to actually learn that there was another like me, even if it was causing her family some unease. I told her that, when I saw Ashanti again, I'd tell her to hunt somewhere else, something which made her thankful.

However, even with all these good things, there was some bad ones. The worse one, which made me a bit bitter, and hurt me a lot, was the way Edward was acting. He was completely ignoring me, acting if I wasn't there. I'd tried to talk to him, several times, but I never received an answer. It was almost like I wasn't there. Only the small clenches of his fists, as well as the sparks of hunger he'd feel, even told me that he wasn't as unaffected as he pretended to me. So, after the first three days of this, I decided to return the favor, ignoring him as well. I concentrated on Angela a lot, so that I didn't feel the hunger he inspired. And I was miserable because of it.

The other bad thing that happened was that Mike, who somehow got it into his head that my anti-social behavior wouldn't include him anymore, had begun to hang around the lab table, trying to make small talk with me in the few moments before class would start. And, for some reason, it seemed that, no matter how much I ignored him, he would still come over to try and speak with me. It was like clockwork. Luckily, he was smart enough to not try and sit at my table during lunch.

The ice was gone after that one dangerous day. It had been just over three weeks, Valentine's day having passed rather quietly, though there were a few pouts from some of the more gossipy girls at school. Angela later informed me, when I had inquired about it, that there was usually a dance the weekend before it, but that they didn't have the money to do it this year, and keep all the other dances planned as well. The committee in charge of events like that decided to cut it out instead of combining the junior and senior proms together, as they would have had to do if they'd tried to keep it in. I, for one, was glad that they had to rid of it, as I knew that several of the guys at the school would have tried to ask me out to it.

However, I didn't bother to check to find out if there was another dance that was to take place anytime soon as well, so I was completely blindsided when Jessica Stanley – who I didn't know very well – called me out of the blue on Sunday to ask my permission, of all things, to invite Mike as her date to the dance. That had been an awkward conversation, where I'd told her that I wasn't going to almost twelve times before I'd hung up on her, getting tired of her asking the same damn question over and over again.

The next day, when I told Angela, she'd looked apologetic to me, explaining that he Sadie Hawkin's dance was coming up, in two weeks, from her words. I groaned when I heard that, though it helped make the call Jessica had given make sense. As she was on the dance committee, she would have known just when it would be mentioned, and, therefore, when girls could start asking the guys to it. And, all over the school, it became clear that today was the day it was going to happen.

I wasn't all that surprised over the fact that Jessica was giving me the evil eye for hanging up on her the night before. However, I didn't think much of it, as it didn't really bother me all that much. After all, I'd given her an answer – twelve freakin' times – so she couldn't complain to me about it. I figured, once she asked Mike, the evil eye would stop. I ended up wrong when, at lunch, I noticed an awkwardness between the two when they'd almost ran into each other as they headed to their respective tables. I frowned, wondering what that was all about, then shrugged, not really caring.

Instead, I asked Angela who she would ask to it. She shrugged, but I saw her eyes glance towards a table to our right. I looked over, trying to figure out which of the boys she liked. I recognized most of them, but couldn't see who it was that interested her. I frowned. I guess I'd have to wait until she decided to say, if she did, who it was. I wouldn't pry if she didn't want to tell me, though. It was her business, after all. However, I did say this to her.

“Well, if you have someone in mind, I suggest you ask him, because if you don't, you'll probably regret it for a long time.” I could tell that my words got to her, for she nodded her head, and I could taste her resolve as she stood up. I smiled to myself, glad to have been able to help, as I watched her go up to the guy she'd taken a glance at. It was Ben Cheney, one of the guys in my English class. I had to admit, she had some good taste. Ben was one of the few guys that didn't make me uncomfortable in any way, and, from the way he was looking at her – as well as his emotions – he was attracted to Angela just as much as she was him.

When she came back to the table, she was smiling, and I took it as a sign that he'd said yes, which she confirmed.

“Good for you,” I told her.

When I entered Biology, I felt a sense of foreboding enter me when I saw Mike standing at my table. He look nervous, and also had a bit of expectancy in his manner. Sitting down, I tried to ignore him until he cleared his throat, several times, and I knew that he had something to say. As much pleasure as it was to ignore him, I figured I'd get rid of him faster this time around if I let him say whatever it was that he wanted to say.

“What?” I said, not looking at him but actually giving him my attention. I thought I saw Edward shift lightly from the corner of my eye, but when I turned to look, he was in the same position that he was in when I first got there, leading me to think I imagined it. Even his emotions seemed to tell me that I had imagined it, for they were the same as they'd been the last three weeks.

“So,” Mike started, getting my attention once again. I looked towards him, seeing that he wasn't looking at me. “Jessica asked me to the spring dance.”

“Great,” I quipped, not really understanding why he felt the need to tell me. “You'll have fun together.”

“Well...” He floundered at my words, not at all pleased by them. “I told her that I had to think about it.”

I rolled my eyes, hearing the hidden I want you to ask me between his words. “Go with Jessica. I really have no plans of going at all, and, if I did, you wouldn't be the guy I would ask.”

I knew I probably sounded harsh, but I really wanted Mike to leave me the hell alone, for good. Between Edward's ignoring of my existence, and Mike's not realizing that I didn't want him near me, I wanted to scream. Pus, I was beginning to feel the same withdrawals that I had felt after the first time I'd fed and not done so again. They had started over the weekend, by body's demand that I feed. Being around Mike's attraction and desire was doing me no good in control of not giving in to my need to feed.

Mike left after that, feeling embarrassed and angry, and I was left alone again, As I moved to pull out my book, however, I felt eyes on me – eyes that I immediately recognized, despite not having felt them for days. I turned my heard towards Edward, finding him looking at me curiously, frustration in his black eyes. As always, though, when we made eye contact, the frustration disappeared as desire took its place. I should have looked away then, knowing that he would most likely try to kiss me next, but I didn't. In fact, it wasn't until I heard the teacher in the background – after he'd slowly started leaning in, his eyes on my lips – that I looked away, breaking the spell while answering the question Mr. Banner had asked me. Not wanting to chance eye contact again, I shifted my hair to form a curtain between us, trying to forget what had almost happened.

It was pretty much impossible, particularly as Edward kept looking at me, and his confusion over the matter dominated my tongue.

Luckily, the class passed by quickly, and, when the bell rang, I turned my back to Edward, quickly gathering my things so that I could escape. Just as I was about to head through the door, he spoke up.

“Bella?” His voice shouldn't sound so familiar I thought as I slowly, unwillingly, turned. I would have to be careful to really not look him in the eye, otherwise what had happened last time would happen again.

“What? Are you speaking to me again?” I asked. I heard an unintentional note of petulance in my voice. But there was some hope in me that he would.

“No, not really,” he admitted, and the hope that he had cause to flare in me died. I frowned, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. Gritting my teeth while keeping my eyes close – this was a so much easier way to keep from looking in his eyes – I waited for him to explain what he meant. I lasted about thirty seconds before I couldn't wait anymore.

“Then what do you want, Edward?” I asked, sounding exasperated.

“I'm sorry.” He sounded sincere, as were his emotions. “I'm being rude, I know, but it's better this way, really.”

“I don't know what you mean,” I said, my voice guarded.

“It's better if we're not friends,” he explained. “Trust me.”

I balled my hands into fists as anger rushed through me.

“Wow, you must really regret saving me from the van,” I snapped, my eyes opening out of instinct to glare at him. He was astonished, staring at me in disbelief.

“You think I regret saving your life?” he asked, mad.

“Well, what am I supposed to think,” I said, getting a bit worked up. I forgot that I shouldn't look him in the eyes, and, while I didn't quite do it, I did get close to it. “Treating me like a pariah after saving my life doesn't leave me much room to think otherwise. Unless that thank you kiss I gave you had something to do with it, in which case, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was so disgusting to you that you would want to avoid me.” My eyes started stinging a bit, a prelude that marked the fact that I was just getting a bit too worked up.

“You don't know anything,” he hissed. I glared at him, straight in the eye, too anger to really care.

“No, it's you who doesn't know anything,” I hissed back, grabbing my back and sweeping rather dramatically to the door, something I wouldn't have been able to do without tripping or falling in some way when I was a human. I paused before I got there, turning to look back at him.

“I know a hell of a lot more than your giving me credit for. Perhaps, if you stop acting like an ass, you just might be able to find out just how much more I know than you do yourself,” I told him. I left the room as he stirred on my parting words.

As much as I wanted to leave, I knew that I shouldn't skip Gym, so I stalked to the class, not bothering to change out. You had to be in your PE clothes in order to participate. It wouldn't be safe for me to do that today. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate, my mind too filled with thoughts about Edward. Coach Clapp gave me a disappointed look when he saw that I hadn't dressed out, but set me over to the bleachers to sit.

It was as I was sitting there, wondering if I'd given too much away to Edward or not, as well as what he would do now, that I realized something I hadn't when it happened: when I'd looked him in the eye, I hadn't felt his emotions shift like they usually did. I'd been able to look him in the eye without making him desire after me. A small smile flitted across my face at that realization, and I finally calmed down. Of course, now I had to figure out how to do that without needing to feed regularly and without being as angry as I'd been. Maybe Alice would let me practice with her tonight...

I was relieved when the bell rang, as it meant I was closer to when I could meet Alice so I could ask her for her help. I hurried to my truck, wishing I could go at full speed. However, as I rounded the corner, I was startled to see someone standing next to the driver side door. It was Eric, and I groaned when I tasted that his emotions were much like Mike's had been when he was trying to ask me out. I had a feeling Eric was going to do the same thing.

“Eric, I'm not going to ask you to the dance,” I said shortly, irritation evident on my face, as I came closer to him and he noticed me. Eric's face showed his surprise and disappointment, but I didn't let it bother me that much as I opened my truck door and got in. Eric moved away as went to start my truck. Just as I got the key in the engine, I heard a low chuckle. I looked up just in time to see Edward pass my the front of my truck, a smile on his face and humor evident in his emotions. I narrowed my eyes at him as I started my truck, then pulled out, acting as if I couldn't see him.

It didn't work all that well, as I kept him in my peripheral vision. I saw as he got into his Volvo, which was parked a few spots down from us. I was taken a back when I saw him start up the car, and then start to pull out. The rest of his family wasn't even near the car, so I knew that he was pulling out just to block me for some reason. That knowledge kind of drove me not to bother tapping my breaks in time to stop me from ramming into the half pulled out Volvo.

I stopped my truck fully, before anymore damage could happen, and got out of my truck. I saw that I didn't have to worry about people thinking it had been done on purpose. It clearly looked like an accident, as if he hadn't seen me already heading out, and I just hadn't hit my breaks in time to stop. I think Edward realized that wasn't true, though. He was livid when he got out of his car, and I tool a bit of guilty pleasure from hitting his car. That's what he got for pulling a dick move that he tried to do.

Before he could come to me – probably planning on yelling at me – Tyler appeared at my side from what felt like nowhere. Apparently, when I looked, he'd pulled out behind me in his borrowed car, and was no stuck until Edward and I could manage to figure out the damage done to our – well, his, now that I looked at it – car.

“Go away, Tyler. You'll get to leave once I talk to Edward,” I said, moving away from him. I didn't get far before he stopped me again, grabbing my arm.

“Actually, I wanted to ask if you would ask me to the spring dance,” he said. I tasted a shot of humor from Edward when he heard that, I realized now why he had tried to block me. Somehow, he knew that Tyler wanted to ask me this, and he hadn't wanted to miss the show. He probably even watched when I blew off Eric as well, which was why he must have been chuckling. Bastard.

“No, go away,” I said, wrenching my arm from his grip. I walked up to Edward, who, now that his humorous moment was over, was back to being pissed.

“Sorry,” I said innocently, sounding as if I meant it. The smirk on face, however, told him a different story, and he glared.

“What the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you stop?” he asked me, irritated. It was obvious that he knew I would have been able to stop earlier. I rolled my eyes at him anyway, ignoring that little fact.

“I was thinking that you would've noticed that I was already near your car before you pulled out,” I snapped, pretending to be angry at his accusations. “You should have at least checked to make sure no one was coming before pulling out as you did. It's not my fault you were an idiot.”

He narrowed his eyes at me while I bit back a smile. It was kind of fun irritating him right now.

“Pull back in so we can see what the damage is,” I told him. He gave me another glare, but did as I said, pulling up enough to allow space between our cars so that, when it came to it, I could drive off without a problem. The damage wasn't too bad, just a dent, broken tail light, and scratched paint, something that shouldn't cost too much for him. My truck only sported the scratched paint his Volvo had.

“It's not too much,” I told him as he got out of his car to look himself. I offered to exchange insurance information, but he told me not to worry about it. I saw his siblings arrive at that time, seeing their faces range from incredulous to straight up amusement. The only one who wasn't like that was Rosalie, who was glaring at me once more. The phrase 'if looks could kill' ran through my mind at it. I had no doubt that, had I'd been human, I'd feel like I would be six feet under. As it was, I just rolled my eyes at her.

“Bye,” I told Edward as I headed to my truck, hopping in to head to the store. I needed to pick up a few items for tonight's dinner.

---

I was about to leave for my meeting with Alice, for today was our scheduled night, when I received a text from her. Curious as to what it said – she hardly ever text me – I quickly opened it. Can't come tonight. Edward coming over to see you. Pretend to be asleep unless you want to tell him what you are.

She had to be kidding me! Why would Edward be coming here, especially after what happened today? Sighing as I realized that I would actually have to lay down and pretend to sleep – I wasn't ready to tell him – I changed from the clothes I had left on into one of the Victoria Secret nightgowns that my mother had talked me into buy. I figured that, if he was going to spy on me, I'd make sure he was as uncomfortable as possible.

With that plan in mind, I grabbed by CD player, popping in the earphones to help calm me down enough so that I didn't ruin anything, and got fully into bed, though I didn't pull all the covers up. I placed the CD player next to me on my pillow, pressed play, and let my senses run a bit wild, so that I would know when he was coming.

It wasn't long after I heard Charlie go to bed that I tasted Edward arriving. I tried not to stiffen as I tasted them, working to keep my breath low and steady so my heart didn't start beating too fast. Oh, this is going to be fun I thought, actually feeling...happy and content, despite the fact that I was very hungry, and not for regular food. I let myself analyze the flavors that crossed my tongue, mentally matching the emotion to them. Unfortunately, the tastes kept shifting on my tongue, confusing me quite a bit. I shifted, discontent, and let him get a peak at what I was wearing. I was immediately aware of his embarrassment, but, instead of leaving or anything like that, he came closer.

I heard my music turn off, and felt him try and remove the earphones without disturbing me. I couldn't help what I did next; I said his name. He froze, surprised, but then became content and happy from it. He continued to try and remove my earphones, and I eventually grabbed his arm. He froze, suddenly afraid, and I pulled his arm to me, snuggling it like I would a teddy bear.

“Edward,” I sighed again, unintentionally, almost feeling as if I was asleep. The electricity I'd felt that one day was back, thrumming from him into me. He was embarrassed again, but still content and happy. Then, a small hint of sadness crept into him. I didn't know why, and I didn't like it all that much. I was, however, rather comfortable, so when he tried to take his arm back, I said, “Stay. Don't leave.”

I didn't even know why I said that, but it seemed to be some kind of magic word to him. His happiness bloomed on my tongue, mixed with other tastes of positivity. However, what got me the most was the one emotion I least expected from him. It was a crème brûlée taste, a taste I hadn't expected to get from him, particularly towards me. His other hand came up, brushing my hair. He stopped trying to free his arm, which I snuggled into some more.

And I was glad for that. More than that, though, I was saddened. I was saddened because he'd fallen in love with a girl who he didn't actually know. I knew then and there that I couldn't continue to lie to him as I'd been. I would have to tell him, soon, that I wasn't human. I needed to stop lying to him, tell him everything about myself: Why I had told him more than I meant to the first time we actually talked, how I looked forward to seeing him every day, even if it hurt me as it had when he didn't talk to me; and, more importantly, what I'd meant earlier after class, when I'd said that he was the one missing things. I was falling for him, not quite in love yet, but definitely on the way to being in a position where I could love him. Lying to him, however, wouldn't help me in the department. I wasn't going to be able to let myself fall for him until everything was out in the open.

I just hoped that he would give me the chance, both to tell him what I was, and to let me fall for him completely.

---

I knew I didn't need sleep, yet, with him there, holding him as I was, it almost felt like I had. I'd felt at peace the entire night, basking in his love, able to ignore the burning of my mouth so easily it was almost scary. He stayed until Charlie woke, and I actually lazed around him bed for a few moments, slowly pushing myself up and acting, for all the world, as if I'd just woken up like a normal human. Sitting up and grabbing a robe, I headed down stairs. I was already 'up' and feeling a bit restless at the moment about my revelation last night, so I decided to be productive by making Charlie breakfast, which didn't take that long.

Charlie was a bit surprised to see me awake already, but he didn't say anything about it. I placed a plate of food in front of him, eating through my own before heading upstairs, deciding to take a long shower. By the time I got out, Charlie had left, and it was about the normal time I would 'awaken'. I took my time, drying my hair completely before getting dressed. I had trouble choosing what to wear – I felt a need to look nice today. I shook my head at myself, grabbing a dark blue blouse that had slightly deeper than appreciated v-neck that showed a tasteful amount of cleavage. I paired it with a pair of dark wash jeans, and put on a sweater before grabbing my bag and heading downstairs.

I frightened myself a bit when I realized I was humming as I grabbed by truck keys. I'd obviously gone insane. I wasn't suffering from it, though; in fact, for the first time since I'd been turned, I was actually enjoying myself. Driving to the school,I was slightly relieved to see that the parking lot was semi-full when I arrived, as I felt as if I'd left too early. I saw the Volvo, and deliberately chose a spot farthest from it, not wanting another accident to happen. I cringed a bit when I realized that they hadn't gotten around to fix the damage that happened to it. Now, I actually felt guilty for having done it. In fact, I couldn't believe that I had enjoyed causing it in the first place.

I was definitely insane.

Getting out of my truck and closing the door, I went to lock it, but accidentally fumbled with my keys, dropping them into a puddle at my feet. Sighing, I went to reach for them when I felt a burst of emotion on my tongue that signified Edward. I watched as his white hand flashed out, grabbing them as I jerked upright. Edward was standing right right next to me.

“You really need to stop appearing out of thin air,” I said, holding my hand out for the keys. He dropped them into my palm, and I turned to lock my truck, shoving them into my pocket.

“Bella, it's not my fault you're so unobservant,” he said, his voice muted velvet. I rolled my eyes, frowning at him

“You know, it's not nice of you to insult me,” I said. “Oh, and what were you thinking yesterday, when you decided you wanted to try and cause a traffic jam?” I already figured I knew, but I wanted confirmation.

Lucky for me, he didn't bother to try and act as if he hadn't done it for a specific reason. “I wanted to give Tyler a chance to ask you his question.” He snickered.

“Somehow, I think you just wanted to see my reaction to it,” I mumbled, then cleared my throat, speaking louder. “Then you must've loved my rejection.” I turned and began to walk away.

“Wait,” he said, and my body, the traitor, stopped, waiting for him. “I came over here for a reason,” he stated.

“You mean that annoying me wasn't it?” I asked, pretending to look and sound shocked. I gave him a small smirk to show that I was joking. “So, what was it that you... Wait, actually, “ I said, holding up a hand so that he didn't speak. An idea just came to my mind, and I hoped that he didn't shoot it down, as he was very likely to do. “I want to ask you something first.”

“Go ahead,” he said.

I gave him a small smile, bit my lip, then plunged ahead. “Will you go to the spring dance with me?”

The smile I received dazzled me.

“And here I was, about to take a page from your admirers' book,” he said, shaking his head. I let out a small laugh as I realized that he had been planning to ask me himself.

“So, will you go with me?” I asked again as I realized that he hadn't answered. He nodded his head, smiling briefly.

“Wow, that went better than I thought,” I said. “I thought for sure that you would say no, especially after what you said yesterday. I mean, about the whole 'it wouldn't be good for us to be friends' thing.”

“I said that it wouldn't, not that we shouldn't,” he said. His face was serious. “And, you know, I wasn't kidding when I said it wouldn't be a good idea. It would be more prudent for us not to be friends, but I'm tired of trying to stay away from you. Plus, I have to admit, I'm a bit curious about what you meant yesterday as well.”

I shook my head at him, a smile on my face. He returned it with a brief one of his own.

“You really should stay away from me, though,” he warned. “I'll see you in class.”

He left so abruptly that I didn't have time to say my reply to his face. So, instead, I said it under my breath.

“Perhaps your wrong,” I muttered. “Perhaps I'm actually meant to stay near you.” Shaking my head, I stalked my way to English, barely making it through the door before the bell rang.

---

When lunch came around, my eyes were automatically drawn to the Cullen table. I was confused and disappointed when I only saw that there were four of them. However, I knew that Edward was somewhere in here. I could taste him on my tongue.

“Did you invite Edward to sit with you?” Angela asked as I was looking for him. I finally looked over to our table, seeing that he was there, being glared at by Mike, Tyler, and Eric.

“No,” I said, sounding confused. “I'm not going to complain, though.”

I shared a laugh with her – Angela was the only one, at the moment, who knew that I'd asked him to the dance.

“Well, I'm glad that he'll be there,” she said. “Ben asked me to sit with him earlier today. I wasn't sure about it, though, because I didn't want to leave you alone. No offense, but the bullies in here tend to go after those who sit alone.”

“I know. I have the feeling that it's like that at any school you go to. But you don't have to worry about me. If you want to sit with him, even if Edward wasn't there, I'd have no problem with it. I can take care of myself pretty well. I mean, I didn't manage to do that back at Phoenix, and I didn't sit with anyone else,” I said. “Maybe, tomorrow, you could invite him to sit with us at our table.”

She laughed at the way I said the last bit, as if it would be a great honor for him to do so.

“You know, that's pretty much what everyone else thinks about it,” she told me. “That you need an invite to sit there, and it's a great honor to do so. At least, that's what I heard.”

It was my turn to laugh.

“Go have fun with Ben,” I told her, still chuckling as I grabbed a lemonade and a sandwich – ham and cheese with no mustard, and extra mayo. I let the smile that I'd given Angela fade from my face, so not to let Edward know that I happened to like the fact that he was there. I walked over as everyone seemed to quiet down, waiting to see what my reaction would be. It was well known that I hadn't been all that friendly towards anyone other than Angela who sat there. I supposed they either wanted to see what I'd do, or – for the guys, at least – wanted to see me boot Edward from there.

“Well, this is different,” I said as I got closer to him, and sitting down. “You know, normally, if anyone other than Angela sat here, I'd tell them to go away.”

“I've noticed,” he said dryly, as the cafeteria exploded with sound once more. It seemed they realized that I wasn't kicking him from the table, and I could hear Mike, Eric, and Tyler wondering why I didn't do so. “And I've decided that, as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.”

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to speak. I didn't need him to elaborate what he meant about that, though I didn't see how having anything to do with me had to do with hell, unless he knew what I was. Of course, I knew he didn't. He would have mentioned if it he did...wouldn't he? I shook the thought from my head.

“So, if your sitting here with me, then does this mean that you've decided that we can be friends?” I asked, opening my lemonade bottle up. I could taste his dissatisfaction over my wording. It seemed that he was wanting more. However, he really didn't say anything about that.

“Well, we can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you.” He smiled as if to take away any sting the words may have, but I knew that his warning was very real.

“Perhaps your mistaken, though,” I said. “Perhaps your the exact kind of friend I need.” I gave him a tight lipped smiled as I tasted his curiosity, looking away towards Angela, who looked as if she was having a nice time with Ben.

“So, anyway, tell me something. Have you figured out why you saved me yet?” I asked, pulling his attention away from what I had just said. I ended up rolling the bottle cap towards him, and he grabbed it before it fell off the table.

“No, not yet,” he said, a little too quickly.

“You sure you don't know why you suddenly turned into a superhero?” I pressed. He shook his head, but his eyes were looking away from me. “You know, speaking of that, I do hope you realize that I will figure out what you are eventually.” I didn't tell him that I already knew; I only said that because I wanted him to know that I wasn't just going to forget about it.

“I wish you wouldn't try,” he pleaded, looking serious.

“Because..?” I started, making it a question as I wondered if he would ask. I was also curious to know just how he thought of himself, and I had the feeling that his unwillingness for me to know didn't actually have to do with the one rule he had to follow so much as the way he thought of himself.

“What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?” He smiled playfully at that, his eyes impenetrable when I glanced at them. However, his emotions told me that he wasn't kidding about that, that he honestly believed it to be true. I couldn't help it; I started laughing as I rolled my eyes at him.

“You'll never be the bad guy,” I said, my tone leaving no room for arguments. “The brooding one, maybe, but not the bad guy. If you were the bad guy, then you wouldn't have saved me.”

He was surprised at my words, and we lapsed into a long silence after that, just sitting there as I ate my sandwich. After finishing it, thought about another topic to talk about, when I thought occurred to me.

“Is there any color preference you want to see me in?” I asked him. His face was comical after hearing my question. He was completely confused, unsure of why I was asking that. I rolled my eyes. “For my dress?” I added. “Any color you want my dress to be?”

Behind me, where Mike, Tyler, and Eric all sat, I heard them gasp as they realized who I'd asked to the dance. They started talking amongst themselves, wondering what Edward had that they didn't.

“Oh,” he said. “Um, dark blue.”

I raised an eyebrow at that, for, as he said that, his eyes started looking all over the place. It didn't take me much to realize why he'd said that – dark blue was the color of the nightgown I'd worn last night.

“Okay,” I said, and then realized that the sound level in the cafeteria had dropped rather dramatically. I looked around, seeing that it was almost empty. In fact, at the moment, Edward, myself, and the table that Angela was sitting at with Ben were the only ones left, and, even then, they were starting to get up to leave at the moment. Angela started walking towards me as I check the clock.

“I think we better get going,” I said, getting up. “We'll be late if we don't.”

“I'm not going to class today,” he said. I frowned.

“Why not?” I really didn't want to sit alone. Angela arrived then.

“Are you two ready to go?” she asked. I looked at her.

“Edward's not coming today,” I said, turning back to him, “and I really want to know why?” I even gave him a puppy dog face that caused both him and Angela to laugh at seeing.

“It's healthy to ditch class now and then.” He smiled up at me, still playing with the bottle cap, but his eyes were troubled, which, in turn, troubled me. I knew that there was something that was actually keeping him out of the class, but what, I had no idea.

“Well, as much fun as ditching with you would be, I'd rather not give the people of the school another thing to talk about after our wonder lunch today, which ditching with you would do, so, I'm off to class,” I told him, gaining a real smile after mentioning how fun ditching with him would be. Angela and I left him there.

“So you'd gladly ditch class with him, huh?” Angela said teasingly.

“If Ben had said that he'd be ditching, wouldn't you go with him?” I countered.

“Oh, yeah,” she said.

“And it would most likely be easier for you, since you have different classes,” I added in.

“True,” she said. “Until it got around that we were both missing.”

“True,” I said.

“I do have to wonder why Edward's ditching today, though,” Angela said.

“Don't really know,” I said. We arrived at the class then, and saw that Mr. Banner wasn't there yet, which gave us a few more moments to talk, something I kind of wanted to do, especially seeing that Mike was standing next to my table. I groaned, which caused Angela to laugh when she saw why. I followed her to her table.

“So, when are you planning on going dress shopping?” I asked. I knew that she was planning on going, just not when. She didn't ask why I wanted to know – I'd already told her that I'd asked Edward to the dance.

I'm not actually sure,” she said. “I'll call you when I know, though, okay?”

“Yeah,” I said. Mike was gone from my table by then, so I headed over, sitting down and pulling out a notebook. I ignored the resentful glare Mike was giving me; it seemed that he hadn't liked the fact that I had not only let Edward sit at my table today, but the fact that he was apparently my date for the dance that Mike had wanted to go with me to. I also had the feeling that he wasn't used to rejection, either, particularly when it came to having another guy be the reason why.

Mr. Banner walked into the room then, carrying a few small boxes with him. He headed for the front of the room, where he placed them down on Mike's table, telling him to start passing them around the class.

“Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box,” he said as he produced a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his lab jacket, pulling them on. The sharp sound of the gloves snapping into place against his wrists seemed ominous to me, and my head popped up fully, a suspicious look on my face. “The first should be an indicator card,” he went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it and displaying it to everyone. I really don't like the looks of this... I thought.

“The second is a four-pronged applicator –“ he held up something that looked nearly like a toothless hair pick, “– and the third is a sterile micro-lancet.” He held up a small piece of blue plastic and split it open. The barb, which I could clearly see despite not being anywhere near it, was like a huge neon sign, and my stomach flipped.

Immediately, I realized that this was why Edward had ditched today. He'd somehow – probably from Alice, who had this class second period – knew that what we were going to be doing today. Of course, considering that he'd just brought the boxes in, I could be wrong, since I didn't think he'd run out that quickly, plus people would have been talking about it in between classes....however, I couldn't think of just how... My eyes widened a bit as I realized that, like Alice, Edward had some kind of gift. I honestly couldn't believe that I hadn't thought about it before. I guess, because Alice never mentioned others having a gift, I'd assumed that they didn't.

“I'll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get to you.” Mr. Banner's voice broke through my thoughts, bringing me back to the matter at had, and the fact that we were apparently blood typing today. I felt panic filling me. I'd always hated blood, not because of sight, but because of smell. I'd always had an extra sensitive nose when it came to smelling blood, even as a human, which had been horrible when I was in the hospital – something I ended up visiting almost weekly when I was in Phoenix, for various reasons. And now, of course, with my sense of smell heightened – not quite to the level of vampires, but near there – it was bound to be worse.

However, my dislike of blood aside, I also couldn't participate in this activity. I knew that my blood would most likely raise questions if I participated. I think it would raise questions to anyone if they noticed that my blood was a lighter color than their own. Also, I didn't really think that the micro-lancet would actually be able to pierce my skin. While my skin wasn't as tough as Alice's was, it would need something a bit bigger and and with more force behind it to be pierced.

Luckily, as Mr. Banner began using Mike as a demonstration of what we needed to do, and jabbed the top of Mike's middle finger, it didn't look like I'd have to do much in order to get out of the class. Moisture had immediately broken across my forehead as the smell of rush and salt made it's way to me, as did it's taste. It was a strange thing, leaning that I could taste blood on my tongue at that moment, which confused the hell out of me. I mean, why would I be able to taste the blood, as it wasn't an emotion?

I laid my head down on the table, now feeling completely nauseous thanks to the blood. I didn't hear a word of what else Mr. Banner might say, concentrating too much on not puking. I did, however, know when he reached my table, his concern a welcome relief from the blood for a moment.

“Bella, are you all right?” he asked, sounding alarmed.

“I already know my blood type, Mr. Banner,” I said, my voice sounding weak. I didn't raise my head, as the taste of blood began to grow once more as everyone's squeals as they pierced their fingers sounded around him. It took all my concentration not to heave at the moment.

“Are you feeling faint?” Mr. Banner asked. I rolled my eyes, thinking that the I looked should answer the question for him.

“Yes, sir,” I muttered, keeping any other comment I wanted to make to myself.

“Can someone take Bella to the nurse, please?” he called. I inwardly groaned, hoping that Angela would the one to volunteer. I even heard her start to speak up when Mike quickly answered over her. I groaned silently as Mr. Banner gave him permission to do so.

“Can you walk?” Mr. Banner asked. I nodded, standing up while grabbing my bag, and the notebook I'd been doodling in just moments before. Mike seemed eager as he tried to put his arm around my waist, hoping to press me against him. I grabbed his arm instead, using it like a walking stick as I wobbled out of the classroom. Immediately, I felt the difference, as I was no longer surrounded by the scent of blood. My head began to clear, and I no longer felt like puking. Unfortunately, because Mike was still bleeding a bit, there was a small taste of it on the back of my tongue, and the scent was still invading my senses due to his close proximity.

I waited until we were out of sight of the classroom, in case Mr. Banner was watching, before I stopped, pushing Mike away from me. I didn't like being near him at all, his desire growing the more I was near him.

“Just let me sit here for a minute, please?” I said, not waiting for an answer from him as I lowered myself to the ground. I even went as far as laying my cheek against the cold cement, loving how it helped cool me down. I'd worry about hygiene later. I heard Mike bending down, presumably to pick me up so that we could continue the journey.

“Back away from me,” I told him, before he could touch me. The venom in my voice warned him to do as I said, and he quickly moved away from him, scared.

“Wow, you're green, Bella,” Mike stated, sounding nervous.

“Go back to class, Mike,” I said, but, before he could say anything, another voice entered our conversation.

“Bella?” I wasn't sure if I was relieved or not to hear Edward's voice. On one hand, I didn't want him to see me as weak as I was at the moment; on the other, it meant that Mike would have no choice but to leave, especially since I would rather have Edward's help over his. Plus, it also meant that I would have some more time to spend with Edward, since he was ditching, and therefore, did not need to go back to class.

“What's wrong – is she hurt?” His voice was closer now, and he sounded upset. I felt a small smile start to cross my face at that, but I quickly erased it. I didn't want him to realize that I was glad to see him. The reminder that he'd somehow knew what was going to happen in class helped me with that.

“I think she's fainted. I don't know why it happened, she didn't even stick her finger,” Mike explained, but I got the feeling that he wasn't listening.

“Bella.” Edward's voice came from the side that Mike wasn't at. “Can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” I groaned. “Take me to the nurse?”

He chuckled, before turning towards Mike – at least, I presumed he did. “I'll take if from here. You can go back to class.”

I was slowly sitting up at this point, and I leaned into Edward, who was kneeling at my side. He was just as cold as the ground, but definitely more comfortable to lean against.

“No,” Mike protested. “I'm supposed to –“

“Go away, Mike,” I bit out, wrapping my arms around Edward's neck as he stood, me in his arms. It seemed almost natural for him to carry me like he was. He began to walk, a bit quicker than I was ready for, and I quickly said, “Slow down unless you want me to vomit on you.”

He slowed down instantly.

“So, you faint at the sight of blood?” he asked, amusement coating my tongue. I shook my head.

“No, the smell. It smells like salt and rust mixed together,” I said.

“Humans can't smell blood, Bella,” he said.

“Not true,” I told him, closing my eyes as I rested my head against his shoulder. I don't know how he managed to open the door while carrying me, for he didn't jostle me one bit before it was suddenly very warm. I knew we had made it to the office. The soft female gasp of Mrs. Cope told me that I was right.

“What happened?” Mrs. Cope asked.

“She sort of fainted in Biology,” Edward explained. I felt him carry me into the nurse's station, placing me on the vinyl mattress. He told the nurse about the blood typing, and I wanted to hit him when I heard him covering up a laugh with a cough after the nurse mentioned that there was always one who did. I opened my eyes then.

“You can go back to class now,” the nurse said.

“He's supposed to stay with me,” I told her, before he could say or do anything. The nurse looked skeptically at me, but didn't argue.

“I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear,” she told me before leaving the room. I wasn't given a chance to tell her not to bother – I was already feeling much better. Sitting up, I looked at Edward.

“You know, I'm really upset with you,” I told him. “Had you told me what was going on today, I would have taken the gossip. I think I would rather be thought of doing something with you instead of having to deal with Mike Newton's grubby paws on me,” I said, standing up. “And I told you that you couldn't be the bad guy. You really are my hero now,” I added, the last bit being sarcastic. He smile at my statement.

“You did scare me for a minute there,” he admitted after a long pause. His tone made it sound as if he was about to confess something humiliating. “I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods. I was afraid I'd have to avenge your murder.”

“You're gibing Mike a little too much credit there,” I commented. “He wouldn't of tried to hide my body, he would have ran like a coward and hidden himself.”

I said this in a matter-of-fact voice, which caused Edward to laugh at me.

“Was Mike mad?” I asked him, once he calmed down. Since he had been there, I'd mostly had Edward's emotions on my tongue, coating over anyone else's emotions, so I didn't know if Mike had been upset or not. Edward nodded. “Good. Maybe he'll leave me alone now.”

“I don't think he'll do that,” Edward said. “Although he absolutely loathes me now.” He sounded cheerful at the thought, and I couldn't help but wonder how he knew that exactly. Did his 'gift' tell him that in some way?

The nurse returned then, surprised at the fact that I was standing up already. She came towards me – her intent to make me lie back down obvious – when the door opened and Mrs. Cope stuck her head in. I mentally groaned as the scent of blood entered the room, and moved to Edward's side, trying not to breathe too much. I could tell that I was scaring him a bit with my actions, for he didn't quite understand my trying to not breathe at the moment, even though I'd told him that my nose was sensitive to the smell of blood.

“We've got another one,” Mrs. Cope said. I waited until whoever it was that was bleeding came through before slipping out of the room, Edward following behind me. When we were in the main part of the office, I turned towards him. He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it, and closed it again. Mike came towards us again, seemingly to have forgotten that I didn't want him near me. There was only a small scent of blood around him, not enough to make me feel sick. He glared at Edward for a moment before turning towards me, looking sulky.

“You look better,” he accused. I rolled my eyes at him. Obviously, he didn't realize that me getting fresh air and resting would be a helpful in making sure that I didn't look sick. What an idiot I thought to myself.

“Just keep your hand in your pocket,” I warned coldly, knowing that was the only reason why there was only a small scent of blood from him.

“It's not even bleeding anymore,” he murmured before asking, “Are you going back to class?”

I stared at him in disbelief for a moment. “Are you kidding me? I'd just have to turn around and come right back.”

“Oh, right,” he said, shaking his head. I expected him to leave then, but he stayed, looking at me. “Well, I, huh, I actually wanted to invite you to join me and the others at the beach this weekend. You can ask Angela to come as well, if you want.” By the glare he flashed to Edward, and the way his body language was positioned, I got the feeling that he was only extending the invitation to one person: me. I was a bit angered at the way he was being rude to Edward, and I knew that the only reason why Mike was even inviting me was because he was either hoping this would turn into a date, or that he was hoping to have another chance at asking me on a date.

I looked towards Edward with a speculative gaze in my eyes, once that had him immediately wary.

“Hmm, I don't know. Edward, did you want to go to the beach for our date?” I asked innocently. I had to work hard on keeping my expression schooled so that I didn't show my amusement at the twin looks of shock I received. I begged, with my eyes, for Edward to play along in the small space of time that Mike started to turn, looking from me to him. Edward wiped the look of shock from his face, settling into a neutral look as well.

“Which beach are you going to?” he asked, though I got the feeling that he already had an idea about it. Mike, still shocked, mumbled out, “First Beach, in La Push.”

I saw Edward's face chance almost imperceptibly, before he walked over to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “I don't think we'll be making it. I already had a plan on where I would be taking Bella,” Edward said smoothly. Mike looked at us for a minute, probably waiting for me to shove Edward away like I had done to him and several other guys who had tried this, and then he wilted like a flower when he saw me do nothing except leaned into Edward.

“I'll see you in Gym,” he mumbled, moving out the door. I waited until it had closed all the way before moving away from Edward, turning towards him as I groaned.

“Gym,” I huffed. I really didn't want to go.

“I can take care of that for you,” Edward said. “Go sit down and look pale.

I did as he said, sitting down as I called up the remembrance of the salt and rust smell and taste. My stomach turned as my face drained of color. I rested my head against the wall, closing my eyes just as I heard Mrs. Cope coming back from the nurse's room. I heard Edward speaking softly to her, and could taste her attraction to him, which turned into concern as she – I assumed – caught sight of me. I didn't have to really listen to know that this ploy that Edward was planning would work. It was obvious that Edward could probably get almost any female to do anything for him.

“Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?” he asked. While his voice was soft, his expression was sarcastic, and I knew that he expected me to say that I would walk. I surprised him again, though, by weakly holding out my arms.

“Carry me?” I said, my voice weak, and I heard Mrs. Cope murmur “Poor dear,” under her breath. Edward, however, was looking at me in shock, not moving for a few moments until he seemed to shake himself from his thoughts. He quickly – but carefully – picked me up, my arms limply wrapping themselves around his neck as I leaned against his collarbone.

“Feel better, Bella,” Mrs. Cope said. I didn't answer or do anything to indicate that I could hear her, knowing that, if I did, I'd break my character. I waited until the door had closed behind us before perking up immediately, wrapping my arms more securely around his neck. “I'd say you could put me down, but I'm a little too comfortable here,” I told him, in my normal voice. He was shaking his head.

“That was quite the performance,” he told him as he walked. “You really had Mrs. Cope concerned for you.”

“Well, if I'm to be going home sick, I expect that I should at least look the part.” I told him. “Now, if we could please get me to my truck, I'll be so happy. I've got an extra hour to spend at home, after all.”

I looking up to see how far we were from my truck. However, I was surprised when I saw that he was heading to his car instead.

“Hey, didn't you hear me. I said to take me to my truck, not your car,” I said, finally going to move myself from his arms. He held me a bit tighter, and I decided not to fight. I was really comfortable, and I could just make a break for it for my truck once we got to his car anyway.

“Didn't you hear me promise that I would take you home safely? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?” His voice was full of laughter, and I scowled at him, knowing that he knew there was nothing wrong with me.

“And what about my truck?” I asked.

“I'll have Alice drop it off after school,” he said, still carrying me to his car. He only lowered me to the ground after we had reached the passenger door. I contemplated on running to my truck, but didn't think my chances would be good, considering that Edward was standing right next to me, holding opened the door for me like a gentleman. Sighing, I got in, just in time, as the skies – which had been threatening to do so in the last hour or so – finally opened up, pouring down. I had to laugh as Edward got drenched in seconds.

“Thank you for opening the door for me,” I said, trying and failing to sound sincere. It was just too funny to see his expression at how quickly he'd become drenched. He gave me a glare, knowing that I was laughing at him, though he wasn't upset at all. Then, he shut the door and hurried over to the driver's side. I pretended not to notice how fast he actually moved.

He turned the car on, fiddling with the controls to turn the heater up and the music down. However, when I noticed what he was listening to, I couldn't keep the surprise out of my voice.

“Clair de Lune?” I asked.

He looked at me, surprised that I had known what the song he was listening to was called. “You know Debussy?”

“No, not really,” I admitted. “I'm not a huge fan of classical music, but my mom is, and she plays it around the house a lot. This was one of the few songs that I actually liked that she played.”

“It's a favorite of mine as well,” he said. I listened to the music, relaxing against the leather seat. It was impossible not to respond to the familiar, soothing sound. The rain, which was pouring even harder than before, blurring everything outside of the window into green and gray smudges. I realized that we were driving very fast, the car moved so steadily, so evenly, though, that I didn't feel the speed. Only the town flashing by gave it away. So long as I didn't look at the speedometer, I wouldn't panic.

“What's your mother like?” he suddenly asked. I glanced over to see him studying me with curious eyes.

“She looks a bit like me, only with blue eyes, and slightly lighter hair,” I said. “She's more outgoing than I am, and a bit braver. She's also irresponsible, slightly eccentric, and an unpredictable cook. She's more of a best friend than a mother, or a child, actually.” I stopped. Talking about her was making me a bit depressed, especially when I had no plans of ever seeing her again, unless I wanted her to get suspicious about my mom-aging. Renée might be a bit like a child, but she was rather perceptive, just as Charlie was. I knew she'd know something was different about me if she saw me several years later. I mean, she even knew that something was different after the accident.

“How old are you, Bella?” He was frustrated for some reason that I couldn't imagine. He'd stopped the car, and I realized that we were at Charlie's house already. The rain was so heavy that I could barely see the house at all. It was the car had been submerged under a river. I was not looking forward to leaving the car, and welcomed the distraction of talk to stay out of the downpour.

“Six... Seventeen,” I answered, quickly changing what I was originally about to say as I turned my head away from him, hoping he didn't catch my almost slip. I had been sixteen when I'd been turned, and, sometimes, I found it hard to remember that I was supposed to be a year older than I actually really was. I knew it was going to be hell when several more years had passed.

“You don't seem seventeen,” he responded, and I could only assume that he hadn't caught my almost slip. Then again, he could just be ignoring it, because he assumed that I wouldn't answer him if he asked about it. I wasn't sure. His tone was reproachful, though; it made me laugh a bit.

“What?” he asked, curious again.

“My mom always said I was born thirty-five years old, and that I get more middle-aged every year.” I laughed, then sighed. “I honestly don't think that's why I sound older than I am, though. It's just that, well, with Renée, one of us had to be the adult. I wasn't kidding when I said that she was more like a child than anything. Where she says I have an old soul, I always have said that her soul is a young one.” I paused for a second. “You know, you don't seem much like a high school junior yourself,” I noted.

He made a face before changing the subject.

“So, why did your mother marry Phil?” he asked. I wasn't surprised that he remembered the name of her husband. Alice had explained that they had photographic memories.

I thought for a moment, gathering my thoughts so that I could make sure what I said made sense.

“Because my mother...doesn't act her age, she's attracted to those who are younger than her, in a way to help make her feel younger than she actually is even more. Phil does that for her, and she's crazy about him.” I shook my head. The attraction was a mystery to me. I may be able to feel their emotions, but I didn't know their minds.

“Do you approve?” he asked.

“It doesn't matter if I did. While neither of us act like it, I am the child, and, therefore, she is allowed to be with whoever she wants,” I said. “And I'd rather have her happy than sad, and he's what makes her happy. I will say this, though: I couldn't think of anyone better for her. He's young, and acts young enough to give her what she needs, but he's also mature enough that he can make sure there's no problems – basically, he can my job, and well at that.”

“That's very generous of you... I wonder,” he mused.

“What?” I asked.

“Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who your choice was?” He was suddenly intent, and I turned my head to keep him from making the eye contact that he was about to make.

“Well, it's a little different. I mean, she is the parent after all,” I said. “Though, I would imagine so, because she's more a best friend to me than a mother. But, like I said, I would have to respect her decision if she told me that I couldn't see a certain person.”

“No one too scary, then,” he teased.

I grinned in response. “I think she might be a little worried if they had multiple face piercings and extensive tattoos, but I really don't think that's what you mean by scary, is it?”

He ignored my question in favor of asking another. “Do you think that I could be scary?”

“Oh, I think anyone can be scary, if they really wanted to be. But, of your actually asking if I think you are scary, or if I'm frightened by you at all, then...well, no. Sorry. I don't think anyone could be scared of you unless you did something on purpose, like threaten them,” I told him. “Now, your one brother – Emmett, I believe – and your one sister – Rosalie – now they definitely have the ability to scare people straight off the back. I mean, your brother with all those muscles, and your sister with that glare...they'd have people running away form them quite easily.”

I shifted in my seat as he chuckled at me, though I could tell he was a bit put down that I couldn't see him as being scary.

“So, you going to tell me about your family now? I mean, it's got to be a much more interesting story than mine,” I said.

He was instantly cautious. “What do you want to know?” he asked.

“The Cullens adopted you?” I verified.

“Yes,” he told me.

I hesitated for a moment, knowing that here was where I needed to be careful not to say something I shouldn't. After all, I couldn't give away the fact that I knew what he was quite yet – I wasn't ready to tell him what I was, after all. “What happened to your parents?” I asked.

“They died, many years ago.” His tone was matter-of-fact. I noticed that he didn't actually tell me how many years ago.

“So, when you were young,” I mumbled. “I'm sorry. That had to suck, losing your parents as a kid.”

“I don't really remember them that clearly,” he told me.

“Then that has to suck even more,” I told him. “I mean, the fact that you don't even have any clear memories of them...”

“It's okay,” he said. “I think this way, I don't miss them as much. Plus, I kind of consider Carlisle and Esme to be my real parents. After all, they have been my parents for a long time.”

I'll bet I thought, but said,” And you love them.” I didn't really need him to answer; it was obvious in the way he spoke of them.

“Yes.” He smiled. “I couldn't imagine two better people.”

“You're very lucky,” I told him.

“I know I am,” he answered.

“And your brother and sister?” I asked. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard.

“My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter, are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me,” he said.

“Is that my cue to apologize for keeping you, and step out of the car,” I said. “I see how it is.”

I smiled, letting him know I was joking. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my truck key.

“For Alice,” I said, handing them to him. “Tell her to just enter when she drops off my truck. As unlikely as it is for someone to steal my truck, I would feel better if I was actually handed the key back. Also, let her know not to try and go over fifty in it – I don't want it to end up ruined because she wanted to go faster than it would go.”

Opening the door, I said, “See you tomorrow?”

He shook his head. “Actually, no. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early,” he said. I fake pouted.

“Ah, your breaking our date already?” I said, my pout turning into a frown. “I'm hurt.” The frown fell away as I shrugged. “Oh well. At least your nice enough not to just stand me up.”

I gave him a smile, showing him that I was just kidding, as I knew that the date wasn't real to begin with. He laughed.

“What are you going to do, anyway?” I asked. I tried to keep the disappointment from my voice, not wanting him to know that I didn't like the idea of him not being at school.

“We're going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier,” he said. I had to work to keep the frown from my face. Charlie had drilled into me where the safe hiking trails were in Forks, and Goat Rocks Wilderness wasn't one of them. Bears often roamed around there. Then, I remembered what Alice had said about their feeding habits. If he knew that I knew what he was, I would have mentioned that bears were not in season at the moment.

“Well, have fun,” I said instead, trying to sound enthusiastic. I don't think I pulled it off, though. A smile played around his lips, and I knew that he knew that I wasn't happy that he'd be gone.

“have fun this weekend,” he said, looking out of the window at the downpour. “Just promise me something?”

“Depends on what it is. I'm not going to make a tape of me stripping for you, if that's what you want.” I said this completely straight-faced. If he was drinking something, he would have spit it out. As it was, he turned to me, his shock visible with his mouth hanging open. I couldn't keep my face blank after that, and broke into laughter.

“I'm joking, I'm joking,” I said, laughing. It took me a few moments to calm down. “What is it that you want?”

He shook his head at me. “Promise me you'll be safe,” he said, smiling crookedly.

I rolled my eyes. “Sure. I'll try not to fall into the washer. Or down the stairs. Or slip on the floor. Or get hit by lightening,” I said, listing one disaster after another. He looked really worried now, his eyes wide as the emotion danced on my tongue.

“Don't worry, Edward, I will be careful,” I told him, shaking my head at him. I grabbed my bag, and jumped out of the car, hurrying to the porch before I could get soaked. It didn't work all that well, as I had to be careful not to run faster than a human would, though I may have gone a bit faster than I should have. I wasn't as soaked as I should have been. Grabbing he key from under the mat, I unlocked the door, walking in. Turning, I waved to him before closing the door.

A smile crossed my face as I noticed that he was now smiling as he drove away.

Chapter Text

Bella’s Point of View

---

 

I waited patiently for Alice to arrive, trying to concentrate on reading some stories from my collection of stories by Edgar Allen Poe, since I didn't think she'd be long. Of course, I hadn't even managed to get through one page since opening the book, not wanting to miss her arrival. I was hoping that she would come alone, but the rain and the fact that it would look suspicious if she didn't arrive with someone else, simply because she'd obviously be seen by me, made that hope unrealistic. After all, any other human would question it, and I have no doubt that the Cullens knew that.

So, because I knew that I wouldn't be getting her alone, I had written her a message, placing it right where I'd tell her to put my keys. I knew she would notice it – it had her name on it, after all. There was no way anyone would realize that it was there, unless someone came in with her – in which then I'd have her bring the keys to me instead, keeping attention away from the table. I really didn't want to answer questions about what would happen if someone else happened to see it. I didn't want to let someone else know before Edward did.

If I was being honest with myself, I was feeling a little guilty that Alice even knew before he did, as unreasonable as that was.

I heard the roar of my truck coming, as well as the mutters of Alice because it wouldn't go faster. I bit my lip to keep from laughing as she came closer, putting my book down and heading into the kitchen to check on dinner, which I had started right after I had arrived. As I had told Edward to tell her, Alice waltzed right into the house, just as I was heading back into the living room.

“Hi, Bella,” she said, holding my keys up in her hand. “Edward told me that you wanted me to drop your keys off to you when I dropped the truck off.”

“Thanks,” I said. “You can just set them on that table there.” I pointed to where I wanted them to be, and saw her read the message. She looked at me, nodded once, and then turned.

“It was nice to meet you,” she said, before leaving.

“You was well,” I said, right before the door closed. I was relieved to know that she'd be coming tonight – I had been assuming that Edward would leave sometime today, instead of later, and, really, he was kind of the only reason why she wouldn't be able to come, bar Jasper needing her. I wasn't planning on keeping her here all night – I just wanted to see her, so I could let her know that I was planning on tell Edward. She'd be happy about that, I think. She's been wanting the family to know, and I had been putting it off. Saying I was going to tell Edward was my way of letting her know that I was bending, at least a bit, on my not wanting them to know, mostly because I had the feeling that Edward would probably tell them himself when revealing that I knew what they were.

I finished dinner – which was a simple meal of lemon pepper fish with steamed rice – and started on making something for dessert, a treat, I supposed, for Charlie. Since coming here, I'd been the one making everything for him, and I always made sure that it was all healthy, even if some of it didn't appear that way. It was selfish of me, I supposed, but I wanted him to live a bit longer than he would had I not changed his diet. If he had to die soon, I would prefer it to be from something that happened on the job over poor eating habits.

Looking forward to Alice's visit later that night, I was pretty happy as I moved around the house, though I was also nervous as well. I didn't really know if she would have good news for me, though I hoped that she did. I was curious to know if she could give me a hint of what Edward's reaction would be know that I've decided to tell him.

When I heard Charlie pulling up, I realized that I had started cleaning the house, in the middle of scrubbing the bathroom down after having done the kitchen, living room, and my room. I blinked, a bit confused as I wondered when, exactly, I started cleaning though house, as the last thing I remembered thinking about was finishing up the dessert I was making Charlie. Shaking my head as I got up from my knees, I headed down the stairs just as Charlie entered the house.

“Hey, Dad,” I said, walking down the stairs, looking around at the now squeaky clean room. The windows that were in a position that wouldn't let rain into the house were all open, helping filter out the chemical scent of the cleaners I'd used. This, of course, meant that the house was probably cold, being that it hadn't been a warm day all that much. I was glad that I was wearing something that would give the illusion of keeping my warm.

This became more apparent when the first thing that came out of Charlie's mouth was, “Why is it so cold in here?”

---

 

“I can't stay for a full hour.” That was the first thing Alice said as we met outside of my house just a little after midnight, both of us holding umbrellas over our heads, as it was still raining. I nodded my head, accepting her words.

“There wasn't much I wanted to talk to you about, anyway,” I told her, as we walked to our usual spot of talking to each other – a small clearing that centered around a hill, a natural rock cavern and fallen trees, providing perfect coverage from the rain, as well, as some natural seats so that we didn't get wet.

“So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?” she asked, taking her usual seat. I didn't say, suddenly feeling nervous once more. I began to pace back and forth, my agitation obvious. She looked at me strangely, wondering what was going on in my mind.

“Bella!” she barked, after I hadn't said anything. I jumped turning and looking at her as I remembered why I wanted to speak to her.

“I plan on telling Edward what I am, and that I know what he is,” I said in one breath. Alice was confused for a moment before what I meant dawned on her, and a look of pure joy crossed her face.

“You mean...” she trailed off, looking ecstatic. I nodded, knowing what she was getting at.

“That the rest of your family will, more or less, follow suit,” I said. “Yes. Of course, I would prefer that you tell them with Edward, once I reveal this to him. That way, you can explain it together.”

“When?” she asked.

“That's what I wanted to ask you?” I said. “Can you search and tell me when the best time would be?”

Her face went blank for a moment.

“I think your best bet is after the dance,” she said slowly, still thinking. “That's the only time I can see where he'll be willing to listen. If you try to do it on one of the nights he come here, I see him running out before you can say anything, and he will try to avoid you for a while... However, I can't say for sure. I mean, something might happen to affect that decision.”

I sighed. I'd hoped that it would have been sooner, however, based on what she was saying, it wouldn't be happening. I knew that I couldn't expect her visions to be fool proof though – not only was I not as clear to her as humans and vampires, but, as she said, something might end up happening that would affect the decision. While I would like to be in control of that, I knew that split decisions could end up happening.

I did know, however, that I wouldn't just be popping up. The first time he ignored me had hurt enough – I wasn't going to chance it happening again. These new found feelings that I had for him might end up going unexplored after he learned what I was, if he rejected me. But I would like a chance to explore them, and I wasn't going to allow myself to do so until he knew everything.

“Okay,” I said, sighing lightly. “Well, thanks.”

She smiled. “No problem. Sorry I couldn't be more help,” she said, standing.

“It's okay,” I told her. “Well, bye.”

“Bye,” she answered, leaving quickly.

I made my way back to my house once again, jumping into my room, and closing the window as quietly as I could. Putting my umbrella down and changing from the slightly damp clothes I was wearing, I ended up laying in bed with my earphones on once more, just waiting for the next day with my eyes closed, to seem like I was asleep.

---

 

School the next day was...boring and lonely. While the rumors of my fainting accident the previous day ran abound, I didn't really care about it. I could tell, however, that more than a few girls were getting a kick out of the story – the ones who did were ones who were pretty much always wrapped up in jealously, to anyone but themselves. It was obvious, considering that, when they weren't making fun of me for having fainted – though I never actually fainted, just felt sick – they were complaining about the fact that Edward had sat with me at lunch the previous day, wondering why he seemed interested in me, the plain boring girl. At least, that was the constant that all of them were saying.

Fortunately for me, it seemed Mike had kept his mouth shut about the fact that I was apparently going on the date with Edward, though I knew it was because he was hoping that it had been a nightmare. I was thankful that he hadn't said anything, though. I could only just imagine what people would say if they new that I was 'apparently' going to go out with Edward, and then what they would end up saying when they realized that he wasn't here...

Of course, despite my anti-social behavior to everyone but Angela, there were some who were willing to brave my iciness for answers. The main one was Jessica Stanley.

“So what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?” Jessica asked as I walked out of Trig, Lauren coming up right behind her.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” I said, walking away. I didn't really care at all of what she thought of my abrupt leave; honestly, I didn't care of what she thought of me in general. She was completely fake, not worth getting to know in my opinion. I had no desire to make friends with someone who only wanted gossip and would happily stab me in the back if she caught wind of me doing something strange. And I wouldn't help make her feel important either by giving her some excuse that she could twist and spread around the room.

As I walk into my next class, I overheard Lauren – the one girl who disliked me more than anyone else, even Rosalie – complaining over the fact that Edward was showing me interest instead of her, going on and on about the fact that Edward was supposed to be hers. I had to admit, I was rather surprised by the way she was talking. I mean, I knew that she was jealous of me, and had an ego, but I didn't think it was the size of Jupiter. Yet, hearing the way she was talking, one would have thought that she believed herself to be a goddess sent here to Earth just so that she could be adored. I rolled my eyes at her behavior as she repeated talked about how dare I think to talk to Edward. However, when she mentioned that I needed to back off from her man, I felt a flare of anger and possessiveness flow over me. I was actually silently growling at her words as I headed to my desk, avoiding looking at her for fear I'd hurt her. I ignored her next words as best as I could.

And then, Mike, who'd come in and heard her words, snorted, and I knew what he was going to do next.

“If Edward is your boyfriend,” Mike sneered at her, “then he obviously didn't get the memo. After all, if he was your boyfriend, why did he ask Bella out this weekend?”

It was silent as everyone turned to me, surprise, shock, jealousy, and fury flowed over my tongue. I kept my face blank, ignoring them and acting as if I hadn't heard what Mike said – an easy feat, since he had been talking quietly to the others. Luckily for me, before anything else could happen, the teacher arrived, and everyone had to settle down. Once the class was done, I escaped before anyone could get to me, heading for my next class, and taking my seat.

I wasn't able to avoid people forever, though, and, after this class was over, Lauren stomped her way in front of me, glaring at me with an ugly sneer on her face.

“What's this that Mike said about Edward asking you out this weekend,” she said, in a high nasally voice. Her fishy blue eyes were narrowed at me, her hands balled into fist. “Why would he ask you out?”

“Well, first of all, he's my date to the dance,” I said, since I not only knew that I wouldn't be able to escape without answering her questions, and also feeling the possessiveness in me flaring again, and wanting to proclaim him as mine. “And, second, he said that I was the only girl work asking out in the school, and he wasn't going to let someone else snatch me up.” My voice turned cold as I stepped forward.

“Now, I suggest you get out of my way,” I told her, glaring. She looked like she wasn't going to move for a second, then stepped out of the way as she noticed the teacher from the class Angela and I just came from looking in our direction. Angela and I walked away them, heading the the cafeteria as Lauren stewed behind us. Sitting down at my table, I saw, just as Edward had said, that he and his older brother were gone. However, I ended up surprised when Alice, upon noticing me, walked – well, floated was the more appropriate word – over to me, taking a seat next to me.

I wondered what she was doing as Lauren – with Jessica – walked in, glaring at me until she noticed that Edward wasn't here. Then, she got this vindictive look on her face, as if assuming that Edward's absence meant something. She walked over to me as well, Jessica right behind her.

“Hi,” Alice said, gaining my attention once more.

“Hi,” I said, just as Lauren and Jessica got to me.

“So, Bella, it looks as if Edward isn't here,” Lauren said. “I guess you were lying when he said that he wanted to go out with you.”

“Um, no, she didn't,” Alice said, and Lauren looked over, looking startled as she realized that Alice was there. “Edward did ask her out. That's actually why I came over to you. Edward wanted me to let you know that your date for tomorrow, despite not coming to school today. His exact words were 'he's not going to be breaking a date with the hottest and most worthwhile girl at school for any reason'.”

Lauren's face turned puce colored, and she turned, stomping away in a mini tantrum, as if she was five instead of seventeen.

“Thanks for letting me know,” I said to Alice. She winked at me.

“No problem,” she said, turning and gliding back to her regular table. I kept my face blank as I tasted the emotions coming from the Cullen table, barely holding back a wince as I realized that Alice was really the only one who was welcoming to me. Jasper was confused, probably over why Alice had willingly come up to me and said what she said, while Rosalie, well, she was warring between confusion, fury, and distaste.

I headed to my own table, Angela behind me. I could taste her curiosity, something that wasn't that strong on my tongue. After all, having been around vampires had helped my control immensely, to the point that I could actually ignore the emotions that danced on my tongue, unless they were particularly strong. Edward's still burned me, though, but the fire was worth staying in contact with him.

“Is that what Edward wanted yesterday?” Angela asked.

“Somewhat,” I said quietly. “I'll tell you later.”

She nodded. “So, Jess and Lauren have asked me if I would go with them to Port Angeles,” Angela said. “Do you want to join them, or would you prefer just you and me going?”

I thought about it. While I would prefer not going with them, I was planning on visiting a book store that was in Port Angeles, something that I wasn't sure Angela really wanted to do. I knew that, while Angela probably wouldn't care, I didn't feel all that good over leaving her alone, and I also didn't want to drag her with me in case she didn't want to go herself.

“I don't mind,” I said. “But, Lauren better hope that she's nice to you and me, or else she's going to be really hating life. Also, do you think we can take separate cars? I really don't want to be stuck in a car with them for more than five minutes, much less however long it'll take us to get there.”

“I'll see what they say, though I don't believe that they'll object. It's kind of obvious that Lauren hates you,” Angela said. I sniggered.

“That she does,” I said, and the rest of lunch passed by with us talking about what kind of dresses we would be looking for. Actually, the rest of the day passed by pretty quickly, and I invited Angela over to my house so that I could talk to her without everyone else hearing it. I knew that, if someone like Lauren or Mike did, they'd become their annoying, overbearing selves in that Lauren would make snide comments about how pathetic I was to believe that Edward would actually ever go out with me, while Mike would do what he could in order to get me to go out with him.

“So, what was that whole thing at lunch about?” Angela asked as we set ourselves up in the living room. “When did Edward ask you out?”

“He kind of didn't,” I said, and then explained everything to her. She was laughing by the end, having started when I told her how horrified Mike was when he heard that I was going to go out on a date with Edward.

“Is that why he was so morose?” she asked.

“Yup,” I said. “Of course, Edward was well aware that I wasn't being serious, and played along with me. I guess Alice doesn't like Lauren all that much, though, because I really wasn't expecting her to do what she did.”

“Yeah, but it allows you to be able not to have to go to the beach trip,” Angela said. “If Mike got a hold of this information...”

“He'd triple his attempt at getting me out on some sort of date,” I said. “I know.” I shook my head. “God, can't he just take a hint. I mean, really, what is it about some men who seem to think that a girl not interested in them is simply playing hard to get.”

“I don't know,” Angela said, looking amused at me. “However, I don't find it too surprising. Most girls – not just Jessica – have been chasing after him for years. Finding one who doesn't is probably intriguing to him. I'm also sure that the fact that your new here to Forks also has something to do with it as well.”

“Lovely,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “So, anyway, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Nothing,” she said. I looked over at her. “I wasn't invited to the beach with the others, and I really wouldn't go anyway. I mean, listening to them complain about things really doesn't appeal to me all that much.”

“Well, you can always come here. I'm planning on painting, probably the entire house, considering just how bored I'm bound to get. Dad has already told me that he, along with a few of the others, were going on a fishing camping trip, and I won't really have anything else to do. He knows I've been meaning to paint the kitchen cabinets as well, so...” I started. She looked at me in surprise.

“Sounds fun, and it'll give me something to do,” she said.

“Great,” I said cheerfully. “I plan on getting up a bit early tomorrow, so should I come get you, or are you going to drive over here?”

“I'll drive,” she said. “This way, no one realizes that your not with Edward this weekend. I take it that you need to go to a hardware store for the paint?”

“Yeah, that's why I'll be getting up early. I need to make a trip to Port Angeles for that,” I told her. “And, now that I think about it, if I wasn't so set on ridding the kitchen of the color it is now, I'd say we should do our dress shopping now. However, I am set on getting rid of it, so...”

Angela nodded. “And I already told Jessica that we'd come with her and Lauren,” she said. “Oh, she said that we'd be going after school Monday, and that she's not open to going in a separate car. I get the feeling that she wants a chance to grill you about your 'date' at the time.”

“She won't be getting anything from me,” I said blandly. “She's not a friend, and I don't consider her worth trying to be friendly to. And Lauren is absolutely worse. And, if they do bug me incessantly on Monday, I won't care if they don't want to take two cars. I'll drive myself there if it comes to it.”

“I think we should take my car if it comes to that,” Angela said. “No offense to your truck, but I think my car will go a bit faster.”

“True,” I said, as she stood up. “So, see you tomorrow.”

“I'll drive on over at eight?” she said, a slight question in her voice.

“That works,” I said, and she left.

---

 

I was surprised when Saturday dawned with an actual sun. I frowned when I realized that today would have been a real nice day to go to the beach, almost regretting saying that I would be going out with Edward. However, the fact that I would like to enjoy the beach with Edward over Mike and the others was enough to keep me from fully regretting it. I did have to wonder what it was about First Beach that Edward didn't like, though, for I hadn't missed the fact that he'd only said that he had another place for us to go after learning where they were going to be heading to.

Of course, I guess he was just being polite when he said that, acting like we might go there. I was sure that he would have said no to doing so anyway, as I had the feeling that Alice would have easily seen that today was going to be sunny, and she had told me that they weren't allowed to go out into the sun. I didn't know the specific details, but she had implied that there was a specific reason for it.

Getting dressed in something that I wouldn't mind getting paint on, I slipped on a pair of comfortable boots, heading down the stairs and straight for the garage, where I would find some paint rollers and things like that, as well as a pile of tarp, which would be useful in keeping the paint from getting all over the carpet. Charlie was already gone, so I was able to moved everything to where it would be away from the walls without having someone witness the fact that I wasn't human. I did this to everyone room, Charlie's included, while taking notes in my head of what would be the best color to paint each room.

I knew that I probably should have mentioned what I was doing to Charlie during dinner the previous day, but I figured he wouldn't mind being surprised. And I already had permission to do the kitchen, anyways – what's adding the rest of the house to that little fact. It was just after I'd finished placing everything away from the walls that I heard Angela pulling up. Heading upstairs and grabbing my purse, I headed outside, locking the door and heading to her car.

“Good morning,” I said as I got into the car.

“Morning,” she said. I could smell coffee coming from a cup she had. The drive to Port Angeles didn't take that long, as the road was fairly empty. It was enjoyable, the drive, as I soaked in as much of the sun as I could, having missed it a bit. Once we'd gotten to the hardware store, I didn't waste any time in picking up the paint I wanted, getting enough so that I didn't have to worry about having too much or too little, as well as a few more paint rollers, some regular brushes, and a few paint trays and liners, before driving back to the house. As we passed by the store owned by Mike's parents, I saw that people were beginning to arrived, though none of them seemed to notice Angela driving by. Their emotions were the basic ones that were usually encountered within first waking up, though there was an undertone of excitement as well.

Angela was a big help. Well, okay, I could have done it faster without her, but she made doing it fun. We laid out the tarp against the walls, making sure that there was no way paint would get under it to the carpet. Then, together, we started on the kitchen, her doing the walls, while I did the cabinets, and the one and a half walls they were connected to. We opened the windows before we started doing anything.

“So, what color is this called, anyway?” she asked, as she opened up the can, and seeing the rather light brown color.

“The color you have is burlywood,” I said, placing tape around the things that weren't to be painted on, standing on a ladder to do the ceiling so that there was a smooth line between the wall and it. I did the same thing between the wall and baseboards. “Mine, however, is called 'café nior'.”

“Interesting color name,” she said, “for both of them.”

“I know,”I told her, as I started pulling the cabinet doors from then. I knew it would make it easier to get the paint were I wanted it to go, without having much trouble. I didn't need to worry about putting them in the wrong place, either, which was also why I insisted on being the one to do them. I was gleeful as I wanted the faded yellow disappear under the darkish brown colored paint. I made sure to cover everything evenly on the cabinets themselves before starting on the doors. Once I'd done one side, I set the aside to begin getting the little bit of the wall that could be seen, so that they matched the rest of the room.

I worked at a slightly faster pace than I actually should have, but Angela either didn't notice, or just chose to ignore it, so we finished the kitchen in plenty of time, though I had to wait for the doors to dry so I could do the other side of them. Walking into the living room, I opened and set up the color of the paint I'd gotten for the main part of the house, which was a color called café au lait, which was also a lightish brown color, though slightly darker than the burlywood one. Doing the living room took up the rest of the morning, and I'd done two walls of it when I saw that it was about lunchtime. Angela, who was just finishing one wall, blushed as her stomach growled.

I headed back into the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out some sub sandwiches I'd bought pre-made the other day.

“Do you want turkey, roast beef, or ham?” I asked her.

“Oh, uh, ham is good,” she said. I put it on a plate with a package of mayo and mustard, grabbed the roast beef for myself, and put the last one back into the fridge. I wasn't hungry at all – save the the usual hunger – but I knew she'd wonder about it if I didn't eat anything. And, since I still possessed the ability to eat without a problem, there was nothing stopping me from doing so.

Once lunch was done, we finished the living room, and headed to the entrance room, where the stairs were at, and dining room, which kind of actually connected back to the kitchen through a small hallway that housed a closet. We used the café au lait for the entrance hall – and would use it for the outside of the rooms upstairs too – but, for the dining room, I decided to use a cinnamon color instead. We did the dining room first before the entrance hall, being careful as we did the wall that housed the stairs. We managed to just clear the landing of the second floor by the time it was time for dinner. I let her have the turkey sandwich, making myself my own sandwich to eat.

“So, do you want to continue after dinner, or do you need to, or want to, go home?” I asked her.

“Well, my parents probably won't mind me staying over,” she said. “Why?”

“Just wanted to know what you wanted to do,” I said. “I figured that I'd finish the kitchen doors and paint the banister for the stairs, as well as do the hallway upstairs before going to bed. I mean, considering that we've actually managed to almost do the entire first floor in one day, we could at least knock off the little things left for today before the bedrooms and bathroom.”

“Is that why you bought so many cans of paint,” Angela said, laughing a bit.

“Somewhat,” I said. “The color I bought the more of was the café au lait. Other than that one, there's really only one or two cans of everything else. I wasn't sure of how much paint would be used.”

“Well, just let me call my parents and see if I can stay over,” she said. “If I can, then we can finish up what it is you want. Just one question, though, well two. One, where am I going to sleep, and two, what am I going to wear? I mean, I don't have any clothes with me.”

“You can have my bed – I'll take Charlie's – and you can wear something of mine. Or, you can have your mother or father drop you off some clothes,” I told her.

“Okay,” she said, heading towards the phone as she finished eating. Just as she figured, her parents didn't mind her staying over, her mother mentioning that she'd stop by to bring her some clothes. I started on the other side of the cabinet doors as they talked.

“My mother's going to come by with some clothes for me,” Angela said.

“Okay,” I told her, as I handed her a brush. “Help me finish these, because I want this color, the café noir, for the banister, and you kind of can't take it with you yet, since I'm still using it.”

“All right,” she said. We worked together on finishing the cabinets, thought she paused at one moment when her mother came to the door. I told here which room upstairs was mine, and she placed her bag in there before coming back and helping me finish the doors. Then, we did the banister, which was kind of fun, before finally doing the second floor.

By the time we were done, Angela looked like she was about to drop dead, so I let her take the first shower, picking everything up and cleaning the rollers off so that the paint didn't dry and make them useless, while pouring any unused paint back into the cans, sealing them, and placing them into the garage. I'd have to think of something to do with them. I closed and locked the doors and windows, picking up the tarp and placing it into the garage as well, so that I didn't wake Angela when I came down here to put the cabinets up after they were dried.

Then, in my room, I grabbed some sleepwear, and what I would wear the next day, made sure that there was nothing that would strike Angela as odd, opened the windows a crack so that there was fresh air, and then headed over to Charlie's room, placing the clothes I'd grabbed on his bed, and looking around the room. Like with downstairs and my own bedroom, everything was pulled away from the walls

I took my own shower once she was done, a quick one, and then I waited until I heard her drop off before getting up, heading back downstairs, and checking to see if things were dry or not. I laid down on the couch, not at all comfortable to pretend sleep in my father's bed and also not liking the color his walls were, checking periodically to see of the cabinet doors were dry enough to put up. I also started taking down all the tape, and painting the baseboards around the house, along with the doorways and doors, in the same café noir as the banister was. I knew that Angela might see it, but, well, I had an excuse as to why I did it myself instead of involving her when she noticed it. I'd claim insomnia and not having been able to sleep after a while. I figured that it was very likely to work.

As it came closer to morning, I finally put them up, screwing them in before I started breakfast. Angela came down just after I finished making some bacon and eggs.

“Morning,” I said.

“Morning,” she said back, looking half asleep. I placed a cup of coffee in front of her, and she looked at it gratefully, adding what she wanted to it before practically inhaling it.

“I take it that your one of those people who absolutely needs to have coffee in the morning to function,” I said.

“Somewhat,” she answered, looking a bit more away now. “So, which room are we doing first today?”

“My dad's, then the bathroom, and, finally, my room,” I listed.

“Which colors go where?” she asked.

“My dad's room will have the cedar chest color, with the chestnut for the baseboards, around the door, and door itself; the bathroom will be bleu de France with the blast-off bronze, and my room will be the Bulgarian rose with the burnt umber,” I answered, pointing to the cans I'd left in the house as I named them. She nodded, not even asking about the color names, finished eating, and then went back to my room to dress for the day. I followed her, dressing in my own clothes in Charlie's room before heading back downstairs, grabbing the tarp, rollers, paint, and paint trays before heading back up to the room.

“Here,” I said to her, handing them to her. “Go ahead and get it ready. I'm going to put the tarp on the floor of the other two rooms, and bring up the paint cans to the rooms.”

She nodded, and started on Charlie's room as I prepared the other two rooms that were left for the big paint job. Then, I joined her, starting on the wall opposite of what she was doing This room wasn't hard to finish with, and I had to admit, the cedar chest color looked a bit better than the yellowish dark green the walls had been. Adding the chestnut helped finish the room, and I could see, on Angela's face, that she was agreeing with my sentiment on how much better the room looked.

We finished the bathroom as well, and were just starting on my room when her stomach growled, and I realized that it was time for lunch. I let her decide what she wanted to eat as I headed down stairs with her. She didn't make a comment on what I'd done after she'd gone to sleep, so I wasn't forced to lie to her.

We finished my room two hours after lunch, and she helped me place everything downstairs back in their proper places before she had to leave.

“Thanks for the help,” I said.

“It was no problem,” she told me, waving buy as she left the house. I was kind of glad that she was gone before Charlie got here – I didn't want her to end up in any backlash that Charlie might have after seeing the new paint the house sported. I was almost sure that he wouldn't yell at her, but I didn't want to chance it. As I put away the rest of the things and opened the windows to rid of the chemical smell, I started dinner for Charlie, while keeping an eye on the paint. Once it was dry, I put everything in his room back in place, while rearranging the things in my room to how I wanted them.

When he came home, I was just finishing cooking. I tasted his surprise at how the house looked, his curiosity and confusion evident, but no anger, yet. He walked into the kitchen, taking in the changes in here as well.

“Hey, Bells,” he said slowly, his eyes roving around. “What did you do this weekend?”

“I had Angela over, and we painted,” I said, smiling brightly at him. “I'm sorry I didn't ask, but I wanted it to be a surprise to you.”

“Oh, I'm surprised,” he said. There was still no anger. “Exactly what did you paint?”

“Everything,” I said. “All the rooms in the house.”

He nodded, and I was positive that he wasn't going to get angry at me.

“So, what color did you change my room to?” he asked as he sat down, dishing out the food.

“A light brownish-red,” I said. “It's called cedar chest, and it's accented by a chestnut color.”

He nodded, and then went silent as he ate. He didn't interrogate me anymore than that, which I was thankful for, and, once he was finished, he went to the living room to watch a game. I cleaned the kitchen up, then headed up to my room, stripping from my slightly paint spattered clothes and throwing them into my laundry, which I then took downstairs to do.

I spend the night folding my laundry, and then what little homework I had let. I completed an essay that was due the following Wednesday in English, as well as an essay for history. It was early morning, just after Charlie had gotten up, that I tasted the emotions I knew belonged to a vampire, and, not just any vampire, but Edward. I was extremely happy to taste them, glad to know that he was back from his trip.

However, my happiness faded a bit as I realized after looking out the window, that there wasn't a cloud in the sky at the moment, foretelling what kind of day it would be today. Unless some clouds began to drift in, it would be another sunny day, which meant that Edward wouldn't be coming to school today. Knowing this, I was morose as I took a shower and got dressed.

Charlie left while I was in the shower, and, not feeling up to staying home, I grabbed my bag – and something to read, since I would be to the school earlier than everyone else – and left. Arriving at the school pretty quickly, I chose a parking space close to it, hopping out with my jacket, which I had grabbed just in case, and headed to the rarely used outside benches, which, while slightly damp, were pretty dry thanks to the last few rainless days. I frowned at the sun for a moment, wishing that it would disappear behind clouds once more, a strange notion. Usually, I loved the sun, and I did like seeing it during the weekend. However, I wanted to see Edward more than it now, especially knowing that he was back.

I hated the fact that I couldn't go and speak to him, though I was comfortable when I tasted his emotions on my tongue once more. He was somewhere in the forest surrounding the school, probably watching me. I was assuming this, of course, but it kind of made sense. After all, at the moment, I was the only one here. I glanced around, searching the trees, trying to see if I could find him. I didn't, and I sighed as I turned to my book.

I was a few chapters in when I ended up tasting a mixture of emotions that had me looking up, groaning when I realized who they were coming from. I hadn't been paying attention as the others arrived, and, unfortunately for me, Mike Newton had just spotted me. I frowned as he walked towards me, determined for some reason.

Damn it, I really do not want to deal with him today I thought, going back to my book, and doing my best to ignore him. It didn't work that well, and, before I knew it, he was in front of me.

---

 

Edward's Point of View

---

 

I absolutely hated the fact that it was sunny. After having ignored Bella for so long, and only starting to talk to her again several days ago, being kept from her by the sun was more than annoying.

Bella was already awake when I got to her house early Monday morning, so I wasn't able to sneak into her room and see how she was doing. I was anxious to know whether or not she had somehow gotten hurt. I also wondered what she had done this weekend, knowing that, because of what she'd told Mike Newton – who, Alice informed me when we'd arrived home, had let it spill that I'd asked Bella out after Lauren Mallory started mouthing off about me being her boyfriend. I had to admit, I was shocked about that, since I'd made it clear I couldn't stand the girl.

I couldn't help but frown when, as I watched Bella leave the house, I realized that she hadn't gotten anything to eat. I stayed where I was for a few moments, then ran to her still open bedroom window. Immediately, I saw hints of what she'd spent the weekend doing, her room now a different color than it had been that one night. I could also tell that she'd had someone over – Angela Weber's scent was evident in her room, particularly from Bella's bed.

I ended up distracting myself, looking though some of Bella's things more in depth, as I'd been distracted the previous time I'd come here. A small well of shame rose in me as I remembered the invasion of her privacy. I had, literally, been frozen when I'd caught sight of dark blue nightgown she wore, which was rather risqué and completely unexpected. I had, once I'd gotten control of myself, meant to leave, but, when I caught sight of the earphones still on, I couldn't just find it in myself to leave her with them on. It was dangerous to do that – she could have hurt herself in some way or another.

That was when I'd been surprised the most. She'd said my name, so clearly that I thought she'd woken up without my knowledge, but the glance to her face showed that I was wrong. Still, while surprise from the sudden glance to her mind I was afforded was welcome, the fact that I was still invading her privacy told me that I should leave. And I would, once I finished pulling the earphones off. Of course, things didn't go as planned. My arm ended up as her teddy bear, and she looked so peaceful...

Then, she'd said the one thing I'd never thought I'd hear from her. She'd told me not to go, to stay. And I did, until it was almost morning. It was when she uttered those words that I'd known that I could never leave her. Those words had told me why it had hurt to ignore her those weeks after the van incident, why it had hurt when she started to ignore me. They told me why I'd been completely, out of my mind jealous when Mike tried to get her to ask him to the dance, why I had felt relieved when she turned down both Eric and Tyler. They also told me why I had decided to go her house that night.

I had fallen in love with her, with this strange girl who could scramble my mind with just a hint of eye contact.

I started talking to her the next day again, teasing her a bit by calling her unobservant – a lie, since she was more observant than anyone I knew. I had planned on asking her out to the dance, only to have her beat me to it, just so it was keeping to tradition – after all, for a Sadie Hawkin's dance, the girls were supposed to be the ones to ask the boys out. I had been a bit bemused, having not expected her to ask me to it. After all, I'd been acting like a jerk to her the last few weeks.

I had been looking forward to Biology when Alice showed me a vision that had me stopping short and my mood plummeting. Mr. Banner was going to be blood typing for my class – and only my class, at the moment – that very day. I wouldn't be able to attend – while my control was good enough not to worry about attacking the other students, Bella was in that class and I didn't want to end up attacking her if I saw and actually smelled her blood, completely uncluttered as it would be once she pierced her fingers.

This led me to wonder how I could talk to her, for I didn't think I could without talking to her again. As I entered the cafeteria an idea came to mind. Alice, who had entered behind me, thought Go ahead as she passed by me. I smiled at her, then headed to the table that Bella had claimed as hers and Angela's. I knew that I wouldn't have to worry about Angela being here though, as she'd been invited to sit with her date for the dance, Ben. And I was glad for that, as I kind of wanted Bella to myself.

When Bella entered the cafeteria – after others had and seen where I was at, several of Bella's admirers scowling in my direction – I saw her glance over at the table I usually sat at. A puzzled expression flitted across her face when she looked, as if wondering something – I hope that it was about me. She didn't notice where I was, though, until Angela mentioned it to her. She looked surprised, but not displeased, when she saw me sitting at her table, and, much to the disappointments of her admirer's, didn't boot me away.

Lunch was enjoyable, though I wasn't happy to learn that she was determined to figure out what I was. She also mentioned that there was no way she could believe me to be the bad guy, though she did call me brooding. After that, she asked me if there was a specific color I wanted to see on her. The color of the nightgown – as well as the blouse she was wearing – was a really good color on her, and I blurted it out to her without thinking. I couldn't help but think of her in the nightgown when I did that, and I found it hard to actually look her in the eye when I said the color.

She didn't say anything, and realized that lunch was almost over. She looked a bit unhappy to learn that I was ditching, and mentioned that she would love to ditch with me, but didn't want any more gossip going around about us. I was happy to learn that she didn't want to leave my presence, and there was a bit of a bounce in my step as I walked to my car, the cap to her lemonade bottle in my hands. I'd stolen it from her during lunch, and didn't feel like parting with it.

Of course, it wasn't long after that that I 'heard' Mike Newton as he escorted Bella out of class. Had my heard been beating, it would have stopped when I saw what Bella looked like in his mind. She was beyond pale, looking more corpse-like than she should. I hurried towards them, being careful in case she'd pricked her finger and her blood was out in the open. I was slightly relieved when I registered her heartbeat, and heard her speak. I ended up being the one to take her to the nurse's office, with her permission.

I was surprised when she mentioned that she could smell blood. I immediately discounted it, saying that humans couldn't smell blood. She simply told me that what I'd said wasn't true before leaning her head against my shoulder. She seemed startling comfortable in my arms, a fact that puzzled me. She also didn't seem ready to let me go – she lied to the nurse before I could say anything, telling the woman that I was told to stay with her. And, when I confessed the fact that I'd thought Mike had killed her, she had, in such a matter-of-fact tone of voice, told me that I was giving Mike a little too much credit about my thinking.

I had to admit, she was a phenomenal actress. I was surprised – and a little bit worried – when, after taking to Mrs. Cope, she had held her arms out towards me, wanting to be carried. She also seemed as if she was extra fragile at the moment, as if she had no strength left in her. Mrs. Cope was worried, and sympathetic towards her, hoping she'd be well soon, a sentiment that I fully agreed with. Of course, one the door had closed behind us, and we were no longer able to be seen, Bella acted completely fine. In fact, you'd never think she'd just been convincing people that she was sick with the way she was acting.

She wasn't all that happy when I refused to let her drive home alone, though she did get into my car without me having to rough handle her from trying to run. I ended up getting drenched, though, when the clouds opened up then, pouring rain so quickly that it was unavoidable. She had looked ready to start laughing at me when she saw that, and I'd glared at her for a moment before shutting the door and hurrying to the driver's side. I knew I'd gone to fast, but she didn't say anything about it.

I learned about more about her, learning what she thought of her stepfather and her mother. I wouldn't lie, the way she spoke of her mother had me wondering just how old she was. I was sympathetic towards her when she mentioned the fact that she was more of the mother than the child, as she should have been. However, when she tried to learn more about my family, I shielded away from the questions ever so slightly, only answering the very basics. I couldn't help but feel, though, that she knew that I was hiding something, and what it was as well.

She was unhappy learning that I would be in school the next day. I almost wanted to assure her that I would be, because I wanted to see her as well, but I knew that Emmett would have my head if I tried not to go. I did have to ask her, though, to try not to get hurt. Of course, before I told her that, she completely surprised me by mentioning something she wouldn't do. I couldn't help but stare at her for a moment when she said it. And then, once I had told her my request, she had listed off a list of things that could happen.

It turned out to be a bad thing to keep my hunting break with Emmett. I annoyed him the entire time we were there, and even ended up listing any type of disaster that could happen to Bella while I was gone, including using the ones she mentioned. By the time we headed home, he was beyond thankful to away from me. Of course, by the time we got home, it was early Monday morning, and we wouldn't be able to go to school since it would be sunny.

Which was how I was able to look through Bella's things now. I didn't touch anything, just checked what she had laying around. I saw that she was a big fan of reading and music, books and discs everywhere. I saw that, while she had a few albums I liked, she had more that I'd never even heard of. I didn't know who Nightwish or Within Temptation were, and they weren't the only ones. Some did strike me as a bit familiar, but I couldn't think of why off the top of my head. Making a mental note to get some of these and find out what the appeal to her was, I headed to the school, keeping in the trees as I did so.

Much to my surprise, as I settled in the tree I was in, I saw her looking around, particularly in the direction I was in, as if she knew I was there. She went back to her book after that, though she didn't seem all that happy as she frowned at the sun. She seemed to be a bit ignorant as the school began to fill up around her.

Okay, there she is came a mental voice I absolutely hated. Mike Newton had apparently just arrived at the school, and he had just spotted Bella. I saw, both in my own vision and his mind, Bella look up, seemingly startled, and noticing that Mike was heading towards her. A disgusted look passed over her face as he did so, but it seemed that Mike didn't notice it.

No need to panic Mike was thinking. I know she really wants me, she only kept from asking me to the dance because Jessica did first, and she was being nice to her. I couldn't help the snort at that. Clearly, he didn't realize that neither girl cared for each other all that much, to the point that Bella wouldn't just do something to be nice to her. Of course, I was conveniently ignoring that I had been thinking the same thing when he first tried to get her to ask him. She really wants me. That date with Cullen was probably horrible, and, once I ask her out, she'll be so glad to go with me. Perhaps I'll be able to erase how horrible it most likely was from her mind. And, maybe afterward, we can go somewhere private, where she can show her appreciation...

I growled out loud as I heard that, and I was hard pressed to keep from jumping out of my tree and going after him for those thoughts. I was surprised when Bella looked over her shoulder sharply, as if she heard me growl. She looked back at Mike, the disgust back on her face before going to her book, trying to ignore him. This time, Mike noticed it, but he assumed that it was for something other than him; particularly, that it was for the book in her hand, because, really, who didn't hate books. I scoffed at that, wondering if he realized that, if she hated books, she would have been reading it, since I doubted it was a school book – it looked too person and read through to be like that. Plus, having seen her book collection, I had no doubt that it was something she enjoyed.

“Bella,” Mike said, and Bella looked up, looking as though she was pissed at him for interrupting her, despite the fact that she hadn't actually been reading. She hadn't turned a page in awhile, long before she even noticed him.

“Yes, Newton,” she said, using his last name to express her dislike of him. It was obvious she didn't want to speak to him at all, which actually made me happy. Of course, Mike, the oblivious, conceited fool that he was, didn't seemed to notice this fact. Instead, his focus was on her hair, which glowed a brilliant brunette in the light, natural highlights of red giving it dimension.

“I never noticed before. That your hair has red in it,” he commented, his hands reaching up to push back a strand of hair. I began growling as he came nearer to touching her, hearing how it excited him, but Bella moved away from him before he could, glancing over her shoulder again in my direction as her own hand came up to do what Mike was attempting to do. My growling stopped, though my puzzlement exploded from me. Again, it had seemed as if she'd known I was here.

“What do you want?” Bella asked him as she turned back towards him, her face back to it's disgusted look.

“What did you do yesterday?” he asked. Stupid Mike, that's not the question you want to ask her. Just suck it up and ask her out already.

“I painted my house all day yesterday, with Angela's help, as well as completely my essay,” Bella said, suspicious. Somehow, it almost seemed like she knew that he wanted to ask her something else, than what he did.

Mike's eyes widened slightly at the reminder of the essay. “Oh, yeah, that. That's due Thursday, right?” he said. Please say I'm right. I won't be able to take her on a date tonight or tomorrow if it's not. I haven't even started it yet.

“It's due Wednesday,” Bella said shortly. Mike winced, and I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as he panicked in his mind.

“Wednesday? That's not good,” he muttered, before thinking Wait. Perhaps I could do something like hers. “What are you writing yours on?”

I growled, for a third time, particularly since I knew that his interest was because he was planning on writing something like she had. In fact, he was thinking of copying her idea down as much as possible.

“I wrote about whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is misogynistic,” she said coolly.

Huh? What does that even mean? Mike's thoughts showed just how clueless he was as he looked at Bella as if she had spoken pig Latin. I relaxed, knowing that there was no way he'd be able to copy her as he wanted, unless he was smart enough to look it up, which I knew he wouldn't. He'd end up forgetting about it before the day was over.

“What did you come over here for anyway, Mike?” Bella asked. Again, though Mike was oblivious, it was obvious that Bella just wanted him to ask his question and then leave her alone. Anyone who heard her tone of voice would realize it.

“Oh, well,” he started, then seemed to buck up the courage to continue. “I...I just wanted to see if you would go out with me tonight?” I can work on the paper later. A date with Bella is way more important than some stupid, worthless essay, anyway.

I growled again, more irritated that he had actually managed to ask her out. The tree I was on now bore the scars of my fingers digging into the trunk.

“Um, Mike, are you stupid?” she said. “Where in hell do you get the idea that I would ever date you?”

My mouth dropped open at that, as I laughed while Bella tore into Mike for his presumptions that she'd ever want to go out with him.

“I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last man on Earth,” she continued. “I'm not interested in you at all, I don't like you at all, will never like you, and I would never and will go out with you.” I had to wince at the harshness in her voice, though I loved Mike's reactions. His thoughts were completely blank as he stood there gaping at her, seemingly unable to comprehend her words. “If you want to go out with a girl, you should find one that does like you. In fact, I can even point one out to you. Go find Jessica.”

She left then, walking up to Angela, who had been watching concerned from a few feet away. Angela chuckled a bit as she said, “Think he'll get the hint?”

“He better,” Bella said, no longer as angry. The two began to talk about the trip to Port Angeles they would be making after school that day. I couldn't help but feel troubled, thinking about all the ways that Bella could get hurt while there. There had been a rash of rapes and murders going on, the police having no clue about who was doing it, and the one guy who went missing several weeks ago still hadn't been found, and had, in fact, been joined by two others. Also, Alice had seen glimpses of several vampires in the area, while there were a few vampire attacks in the next town over from Port Angeles. While Bella seemed completely able to take care of herself, she did attract a lot of attention, and could easily attract the wrong type of attention if she ended up separate from the others.

The two girls continued to talk, and, when I delved into Angela's mind, I saw that they spend the weekend together, painting the Swan's house. I chuckled – Bella had to have been bored to willing do something like that. A part of me felt bad that she hadn't been able to really enjoy the weekend because she was on a pretend date with me – a date, I found out, that Mike had ended up telling the whole school about, as well as Alice pretty much saying that it would definitely happen as well.

“Remember,” Bella was saying. “Make sure that you are completely ready to drive your car today, because if Lauren or Jessica try and interrogate me about my 'date', I don't care if they don't like it, we are not riding with them.”

“I know,” Angela said, amused. From a look in her mind, it was obvious that Bella had told her the truth. As they headed up to the school, I saw Lauren looking at them.

I wonder if they'll try to insist on going in separate cars again. I can't understand why they would, though. Unless they have something to hide. Maybe it's because Bella must not want to tell us about her date with Edward this weekend. If that's it, it's probably because she lied. But then...why did Alice, Edward's sister, say that the date was still on? Was she lying as well? No, probably not. Maybe Edward stood her up? No, no one saw her on Saturday around town, so she obviously wasn't here. I know, she doesn't want to talk about it because it went bad. Edward probably realized that I'm way better for him that her, and hotter, too. And I'm most likely way more experiences than she is...

I pulled myself out of her mind as her thoughts became more sexual in nature, the thought like mother, like daughter going through my own mind as she began listing conquests. She seemed to think of herself rather highly, believing that I most likely regretted going out with Bella – I wouldn't, if I had – and thinking that I would come straight to her once these sunny days were over. I couldn't help but scoff at that, and the fact that she thought she was better looking that Bella – of course, that part didn't surprise me, as she thought she was better looking than anyone, Rosalie included.

A part of me couldn't believe just how much of an idiot she was. I had been here for two years already, almost three, and not once had I shown any interest in her, yet she still seemed to hold the belief that I did, clearly delusional and in need of a metal facility. If I was honest, even if Bella hadn't come here, and I had been willing to date someone, she wouldn't be it at all. I didn't care for blondes at all. They didn't appeal to me. My tastes seemed to run more in the directions of brunettes, preferably ones with hints of red in their hair, and expressive eyes of the deepest chocolate brown color.

The rest of the day passed with me keeping track of Bella in the minds of others. The only thing I found to be important to note was that their plans to Port Angeles for after school ended up being postponed until the next day. Apparently, Mike had taken Bella's advice and asked Jessica out, which excited her immensely. I felt a bit sorry for her, as, after reading Mike's mind, it became apparent that he had completely blanked out everything Bella said to him this morning, except the fact that Jessica wanted to date him. He was positive that, once Bella realized that he was going out with Jessica and no longer available, she would regret not going out when he first asked, and come chasing after him. And, of course, he'd forgive her for waiting, and dump Jessica the first chance he got to be with her. It was quite disgusting on how he was so willing to use Jessica like that, showing that he was an obvious piece of trash.

Of course, it wasn't like it would work anyway. I may not be able to read Bella's mind, but it was obvious that what he was thinking wasn't true. Her dislike of him was palpable enough that I believe he – and maybe Jessica, if her jealous thoughts were any clue – were really the only ones who didn't seem to be able to see it.

I was a bit relieved that it would be postponed. It would give me more time to make up a plan for when they went themselves.

Once Bella got home from school, I did a quick sweep around her house. I paused for a moment, taking in all the scents around. Bella's, strangely, was the most prominent, and I could tell that she often came through these woods. Being faint, it was easy to ignore the burning in my throat her scent inspired, and I began to take detail of it. It was a nice scent, a floral one. However, mixed in with it, so faint one would miss it unless doing what he was, was an unfamiliar scent. It was...seductive, like an aphrodisiac sort of scent. I pondered on it as I started checking around again.

There was a new scent near a certain part of the forest. I froze, fearful when I first hinted it, for it had the scent of a vampire in it. Or, at least, I thought it did. A quick check showed me that it was a sweet scent, like milk chocolate – or, how he imagine such to smell like to a normal human. It also held the seductive aphrodisiac that Bella's did, though it was a lot stronger, strong enough for him to realize that it was almost like a vampire's alluring scent. That puzzled and worried me. This was something I hadn't run into before.

I ended up following it, all the way near Port Angeles, before heading back to Bella's, as I couldn't follow it any more. I watched as Bella moved inside, only glimpsing her through the windows. A sudden desperation grabbed me as I wished I could actually see her, at least, more of her than I was now. In fact, I was almost about to head to her door, using the shadows there to be able to do it. Inside, I saw her looked at her phone, eyes widening for a moment before she disappeared once more.

Then, as if she had either known of my wishes or had somehow known what I was about to do, she stepped outside, a book and blanket in hand. I was slightly surprised when it appeared that she was heading towards me, only stopping inches from the shade of the tree I was in. I saw her eyes flicker in my general direction, a smile on her face when she did. It was almost like she knew that I was there, which was kind of strange. There was no way she could know that I was there, after all. It was confusing, really.

I was careful not to move as I watched her read. I hadn't caught the title of what she was reading, but I could tell that, whatever it was, she'd read it quite a bit. I didn't pay much attention to the book, preferring to watch her, though I didn't quite recognize what it was from the few sentences I read over her shoulder. It wasn't until I saw the names of some of the characters in the book that I realized what it had to be.

I will admit, I was surprised to see what she was reading. Most teens I knew that did like to read didn't really read that story all that much, being that it was more of a memoir type book over a straight up fantasy or work of fiction. I wondered what it was about it that she like, being that it seemed that she had read the book quite a few time, based on how it looked. It was times like these that I really wished I could read her mind, just to know.

All too soon – at least, it seemed like it to me – she finished the book, getting up and grabbing the blanket to head inside. I soon heard her moving around in the kitchen, getting dinner ready. She worked quickly, making something that seemed – based on her movements – simple to make. It was just as she was finishing it that Chief Swan pulled up, and I thought I heard her sigh when she heard the car door shut.

I listened to Chief Swan's thoughts, noticing that they were rather easy to read compared to his shielded daughter. Through his thoughts, I saw the house, and heard his thoughts about it – he'd apparently come home to a freshly painted house the previous day, which had shocked him because he hadn't expected it. He wasn't upset, though – she'd done it quite well, and he'd admit that it looked a lot better than it did before. I had been a bit surprised to learn that she hadn't actually asked him to do it, particularly since she didn't really strike me as the type to do something like that. Then again, she did have some strange quirks that I didn't know about, so it's entirely possible that she would do that.

From the sounds if it, she didn't mention the 'date' she had with me to him, though he had heard about it. He wondered if it was a good idea to ask about it, but fear of knowing what she might say stayed his tongue. They two sat down to dinner, Bella looking a bit disgruntled for some reason. I saw her appear and disappear in Charlie's mind as he repeatedly glanced at her. As he did that, her expression changed minutely as she got more and more irritated with him.

“What, Dad?” she finally said, looking at him. I could tell that he was a bit embarrassed at having been caught.

“Well, uh, I heard that, uh, you apparently had a date with someone Saturday,” Charlie said. She looked at him, a bit surprised, until she realized what it was that he was talking about.

“Oh,” she said, shaking her head. “Yeah, ah, that's not actually true. See, when Mike invited me to La Push, I kind of didn't want to go, and, well, I kind of used Edward Cullen as an escape goat so that he didn't continue bugging me about it. Edward was right there, and he was willing to let me say it, so it wasn't like I was trying to force him into going out with me.”

“Why didn't you want to go to La Push?” Charlie asked her. “I mean, it's wonderful there, and I know that Jacob – my friend Billy's kid – has been wanting to see you for a while.”

I saw Bella grimace at that, which I thought was strangely appropriate after hearing Charlie's thoughts. I had to keep from growling when he thought about how wonderful it would be if they got together. Apparently, this Jacob seemed to show signs of a crush on Bella the last time he saw her, though Charlie didn't actually know if it was reciprocated or if Jacob even still had that crush.

“Well, considering that Mike would have tried to make it so that it was like we were on a date, and I have no interest in dating him – or almost any guy at school right now – I wasn't about to give him an opening for it,” Bella said. “Although, I wouldn't mind going out with Edward – he's even my date to the dance. Edward, so far, is really the only guy in town that I believe is worth going out with.”

Charlie tried to place me, getting confused in his thoughts about which one of the Cullen's I was.

“Isn't he a little old for you?” Charlie asked her. She scoffed.

“First of all, Dad, any kid at the school is free for me to date, even if they are slightly older than me. And, come next year, if I wanted to, I can date a college guy should I wish,” she said, bluntly. Charlie was shocked over her words, but before he could say anything, she continued. “That said, Edward is my age, though he is a month or so older than me. Oh, and, you don't have a right to control any love life I may or may not end up having. I'm almost an adult, and any guy I date will have to be older than me. I will never do what Re-Mom has done and date someone younger than me. At least, not someone younger than me by five months.”

Charlie was still speechless over what she said, and she left before he could say anything. By the time he filtered through what she said, he was embarrassed, wondering if she had somehow known that he was tempted to set her up with this Jacob guy or not, and also a bit horrified to know that she was perfecting willing to date a college guy. Unfortunately, while he could say she couldn't up until September of this year, she was a bit right about what she said. He really didn't have any right to try and control her love life. Of course, his reasoning for it was that he didn't want her to move away if he did try that.

However, what really got him not to go after and confront her was the mention of Bella's mother, who he really wasn't over. I felt a little sorry for him, still in love with a woman who preferred to be with a guy younger than her because she was such a child. At least, that was what Bella had said about her when I had asked about it.

That night, after Bella and her father had gone to sleep, I snuck back into her room once more, carefully so that I didn't make a lot of noise, and snuck back to her side. Once again, she'd fallen asleep with her earphones on, and, once again, when I'd tried to remove them, she wrapped herself around my arm, holding it close to her and not letting go the entire night. She didn't say much this time around, just my name a few times, but I wasn't all that upset about it. It was only as the sun started to rise – after I heard her father wake up – that I untangled myself from her grip and left, my mind working on a new piece that was inspired by her.

---

 

Bella's Point of View

---

 

It was sunny once more. I was depressed as I dressed for school,wearing a long sleeved, dark blue blouse so I didn't have to bring a jacket with me in case it got cold. Angela, who noticed my slightly depressed mood, was kind enough to remind me about the trip to Port Angeles after school, which cheered me up considerably. I then became eager for school to end, feeling even more excited when Lauren ended up being too sick to come with us. While Jessica was annoying, without Lauren there, I knew that the she would only need a little prompting to dominate the conversation. Having her own date to talk about would help immensely with that – I could tell, based on her emotions, that she kind of forgot about the fact that I'd 'gone out' with Edward Saturday, at the moment anyway. So long as it wasn't mentioned, it was doubtful that she would remember it during this trip.

Of course, I did tell Angela to help me keep the conversation about Jessica's date because of this little fact. I would admit, if there was someone other than my parents that I would miss when I had to disappear, it would be Angela. While shy, she was a really good friend to have, willing to help cover for me if I needed her to, and was the type to keep your secret if told, which was rare among humans. I knew that she wouldn't say anything to others about me that I didn't want them knowing.

I drove myself home, switching my wallet into my purse as well as making sure that the pepper spray Charlie insisted I take with me was in there as well. Then, heading outside, I waited for Jessica and Angela – in Jessica's car, which was what we'd agreed to take with us – to pick me up, more than eager to get out of Forks, even if it would only be a little while. The depressed feeling from this morning, when I realized that, unlike the previous day, Edward's emotions – my way of telling when he was nearby – didn't show up at all. I knew that he was in town – he'd visited me again last night, letting me repeat my actions, this time wearing another nightgown in a deep purple color – so I couldn't understand why he wasn't showing. I did have to wonder why he hadn't bothered to show up today, then forcefully dismissed those thoughts, telling myself that it wasn't any of my business about whether he was stalking me or not.

The fact that I wanted to to stalk me should have scared me, as it wasn't something that I should want.

If anything, these thoughts were a part of the reason why I was forcefully making myself think about the fact that I was going to Port Angeles. While I knew that Port Angeles wasn't much more than a tourist trap, I had found that there were a few bookstores in town after looking it up on my ancient computer. There were two of them, in fact, one called Spirit's Bookstore, which seemed to focus mostly on new age books – I planned on checking that one out later, when I was truly alone – and the other was called Thunderbird and Whale Bookstore, which seemed to focus on myths and legends based on the limited book selection I'd seen they had on catalog. I had written down the address to it so that I could get there without trouble, though I'd memorized it as well. Having it written down was a just in case deal.

If I was lucky, I would be able to get to the bookstore today.

We made it to Port Angeles by four, since Jessica drove fast than Charlie did; faster than my truck did as well, though certainly not as fast as I could run, nor as fast as I suspected Edward was able to do so. I never looked at the speedometer, so I didn't know just how fast she was going. Of course, by the time we got there, we'd not only heard all about Jessica's wonderful date with Mike, but also the fact that Tyler, the idiot that he seemed to be, was spreading rumors saying that I'd agreed to go to prom with him. It was just one of the few reasons why Lauren hated me, for I not only had Edward's attention, but I also had Tyler's, whom she had set her sights on for the moment. I had the feeling that, in her deluded mind, it would only last until Edward 'finally came to his senses', so I wasn't to broken up about this fact. No, I was just pissed that Tyler was saying that because I hadn't agreed to such a thing.

Jessica drove us straight to the department store, and the hunt for what to wear was on.

I found my dress first, after asking Angela – I didn't trust Jessica to tell me the truth – whether the dance was formal or not. Since I wasn't looking for something that would make me stand out all that much – I was just looking for a specific color, per Edward's orders – it was easy to find. It was a royal blue dress – they didn't have dark blue – with a drape scoop neckline and ultra low in the back, showing the bare skin of my back. It was fitted, showing off my slight curves, and went down to just an inch passed mid thigh when I tried it on and showed the others. I liked how it looked, for it wasn't completely formal, but would also work for such an event, and I could tell that both Angela and Jessica thought it looked great on me as well, though only Angela told me the truth. It was Jessica's jealousy that told me her real thoughts, for she tried to convince me that it wasn't the best dress for me, giving subtle hints that I would look better in a lemon yellow dress she'd just picked up. Since I wasn't all that concerned about her opinion, knowing that she'd lie about it – and the fact that the yellow dress was hideous looking – I didn't really listen to her. Instead, after dressing back in my actual clothes, I helped Angela find her own dress.

After Angela had tried on several dresses – a few having been put in by Jessica, and those ones immediately being vetoed by me because of how bad they looked on Angela – we finally found one that she liked and looked nice in. It was a purple one, with an asymmetrical neckline, fitted silhouette, and all over runch. Silvery white stones decorated both hems, as well as the sleeve and curve of the dress. Like mine, it went to above the knees, just an inch or so under mid thigh, but, while Angela originally thought, when she saw the dress, that she would mind it, she found that she really didn't.

Of course, though she looked amazing in it, it took a bit of convincing to get her to choose it, for Jessica – the jealous bitch – seemed determined to undermine Angela's confidence about it, the same way that she tried to do to me. Luckily, when it looked as though Angela was about to say no to it, and chose a different dress, Jessica went back to her own search for her own dress, and I was able to convince her not to listen to Jessica, which didn't take as long as I thought it would. I was lucky that Angela seemed to trust me over her, though I had the feeling that the fact that Jessica had tried to do it to me had something to do with it. I was surprised when I realized that Angela had only acted like she would chose a different dress in order to get Jessica to stop bothering her about it. I thought it was the funniest thing I'd heard.

Because of the way Jessica had been acting when Angela and I had been trying to find our dresses, I wasn't all that willing to help her find her own. Only the fact that she expected it, and I was going to be looking for some kind of jacket or boloro to wear with my dress, had been willing to even give an opinion on what she chose. Luckily, after a few dresses that Jessica went through, we were freed of our obligation to look around for other things for ourselves, for, though Angela and I had been completely truthful to her, she didn't believe a single word we said about any of the dresses she tried, keeping to those that look horrible on her over those that actually looked good on her. The one dress that had looked awesome on her – a dark green velvet one shoulder number that had a hem that touched her knees – had ended up being put back after I told her that, distrust radiating from her at my words. I actually rolled my eyes at her, finding her stupidity in the fact that she thought I would be anything like her to be an insult.

I had the feeling that, unless she found one on her own. It was a sure bet that she'd come here with Lauren again, and get something that would look horrible on her, based on Lauren's recommendation. I wonder vaguely what she would do if Mike commented negatively on her dress after that, but figured she'd deserve it because of her idiocy.

I ended up choosing a black satin ruffled wrap to go with my dress, while Angela found a poncho decorated with shades of purple, from the flowers – though a few look more white than purple – to the background upon which they were on. Upon heading to the shoes area, I found myself a pair of purple glittered Mary Jane platform shoes with a five inch chunky heel almost immediately. Since they didn't have it blue, and they didn't class to badly with my dress – after holding them close together and getting Angela's opinion on it – I decided to get them. Angela, however, got a pair of simple white flats, as Ben was kind of on the short side compared to her, and heels were really an option for her.

It was while we were browsing the jewelry section of the store that Jessica caught up with us. As I had somehow suspected, her hands were empty, and she told Angela that she'd just come back with Lauren another day to pick out her dress then. I shrugged, my mind more on whether or not it was worth getting anything to wear when I saw black velvet ribbon choker with a deep sapphire blue jewel set in a silver pendent hanging from it. I decided to get it, feeling that it would complete the outfit, though earrings would have probably gone with it better.

After paying for our things – I was the one with the most things, because I'd gotten the choker necklace – and placing them into the car, we realized that it was still early, too early to head to La Bella Italia, which was were we'd decided to eat dinner at. This was where the plans for today almost became complicated. Jessica and Angela decided to head to the harbor, but I begged off on joining them, deciding to head to the bookstore instead. Jessica frowned at the idea of going to a place, not understanding why I would want to, while Angela was a bit indecisive about who to go with. However, as she really wanted to go to the harbor, I gently told her no when she offered to join me, for which she was grateful for.

I agreed to meet them at the restaurant once I was done browsing, or buying, should I find something I wanted, before heading over there on foot. It didn't take me that long, though the store itself was in a rather secluded area. I took my time looking, eventually deciding to buy a book on Quileute legends. While I doubted that I would find anything about my kind, I was curious to see if there was anything in there that might match up to my kind. Plus, the way Edward had acted when hearing about First Beach had me wondering if, perhaps, there was something about vampires in it. And I was curious to see what other kind of legends were in it as well.

Leaving the bookshop, I was slightly surprised to discover just how dark it was outside already, despite the fact that I shouldn't have been, since it was still winter. I had no trouble seeing, though, as I made my way back towards the direction I'd come from. I did my best to hurry, but, as I was walking, the first hints dread began forming in me as I tasted emotions that held a rather evil hint to them. A tilt of my head allowed me to hear the pair of footsteps behind me, footsteps that were too quiet for a human to hear. Whoever it was, they didn't want to draw attention to themselves quite yet.

I resisted looking behind me, choosing instead to try and lose them while acting as if I didn't know that they were there. I had an idea of what it was that they wanted, and it wasn't the purse with some left over money in it, nor was it the shopping bag holding the book I just bought. What they most likely wanted was enough to send multiple chills up my spine, and I gripped the handle of my bag tighter as the thought scared me. However, while it scared me, the monster inside me was thrilled, growing stronger off of their lust. It wanted control, wanted to attack them and drain them for even thinking that it, that I, could be prey to them. Just the idea of being able to do that was helping it, and it almost overpowered my will. I was holding onto my control by the merest threads of my consciousness.

Thankfully, just before it could win, the footsteps began to fade, and my control began to strengthen once more. Naively, an idea that they hadn't really intended on hurting me, just wanted to scare me, went through my mind. I couldn't really believe that, though, for their emotions had pretty much clued me in that it would be otherwise. I just had a bad feeling that something was going to happen, and, when I turned the corner, I ended up skidding to a stop as the feeling became full forced.

The area that I was in was lined on both sides by blank, doorless, windowless brick walls. There were a few streetlamps, all dingy looking and barely showing light. In the distance, about two more intersections down, I could see more streetlamps, ones that were definitely brighter than these ones, along with a multitude of cars and more pedestrians, though they were pretty far away. But that wasn't what had caused me to stop – that would actually be something welcoming, in fact. No, what caused me to stop was the fact that there were two men lounging against one of the buildings on the opposite side I was on, about midway down the street, who both seemed to we waiting for something. They wore excited smiles, and I knew what it was that they were waiting for, particularly since their emotions were much like those who had been following me, the two men that I could now hear behind me once again.

I hadn't actually been followed. I was being herded. The monster in me was incensed at these men's actions.

I had only paused for a moment, my control weakened once more due to my monster's anger. And the added emotions of the two new guys were tearing though the threads that held my control together. However, there was a small part of me, not the monster, that actually wasn't sure I wanted to stop my monster. This part of me felt that killing them would be justified, that they wanted to hurt me, and had probably hurt others, if the way they seemed to have a technique down for herding quite well. And, as I got closer to the two that were in front of me, there was something about one of them that was not only different, but also familiar. In fact, though slightly different, his face looked familiar to me. I just couldn't place it at the moment.

“There you are!” The booming voice of the male next to the man I thought I recognized sounded. I immediately knew that he meant to to make me uneasy, an action that didn't quite work well on me. While his eyes were still on me, in the dim light, they looked more like they were looking at one of the guys who were behind me.

“Yeah,” one of the guys behind me called, loudly. As I had already figured, it seemed that they were trying to scare me, and the monster in side me growled. I continued walking, ignoring them as best I could, but my feet ended up slowing down as I saw the two in front of me detach themselves from the wall, heading my my direction. They spread out, and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the two behind me following suit. I moved towards the middle of the street, so I couldn't get trapped against a wall – if I needed to defend myself, I wanted room to do so.

Come on the monster inside me thought, a crooning plea in it's voice. Let me out, let me have control. Let me have them.

No I thought, putting the bag with my book into my purse, which wasn't actually big enough to hold it fully. Still, it would work. I also took the pepper spray out, though I didn't think it would do me much good. Still, it would help in distracting any of them who happened to get an eyeful. The guy in front of me was beginning to get irritated with my actions – or the lack of reaction, for I had the feeling he wanted fear from me.

“Leave me alone,” I said out loud to them, glaring at the familiar looking guy, sensing that he, somehow, was the unofficial leader. The fact that my voice told him that I wasn't even close to being afraid had him breaking his character a bit, surprise crossing his face for a moment, before he began to look excited once again. It seemed he like the idea of me being a fighter.

Yes the monster inside of me said, towards my previous thought. Let me have them. Let me show them what a true hunter is like.

No I thought back to it, more firmly than before. I will not kill anyone, even scum like them.

“Don't be like that, sugar,” the one guy said, but I only noted it distantly, having started an argument in my head with my monster.

They want to rape you, the monster was saying. You know it, I know it, anyone who looks at them and sees the position they are in right now would know it. And, just because you're ready to fight doesn't mean that you'll end up winning. There's four of them, and one of us. And you'd still end up feeding anyway.

I'm stronger than them, I told it. Even though it's been a while since I've fed, I am still strong enough to keep them from being able to grab me and keep from feeding.

No, your not, the monster said, sounding fed up right now. Fighting alone will deplete your already small store of energy, and you will be weakened because of it.

I won't feed on them I thought stubbornly. I'll fight against them, or run away before I ever give in.

How about just the one, then... the monster coaxed, the reflection of the familiar looking one running though my mind. He's the one whose most excited about this. He's done it before, and probably will continue to do it if we don't kill him. You can consider me a monster, but the true one is standing in front of you right now.

No I thought in a final way. Even if he's done it before, I will not stoop to his level. I will not become like him, nor do I want to be tainted by his energy. I will not become a monster myself just to remove another one...

Those words angered the monster more than I expected them to. With a strength that I hadn't realized it had, a strength that shocked me and made me feel pitiful for ever thinking I had any control, the monster broke free if the invisible bond of my control, pushing me back into my mind and taking over for the time being.

If you won't, then I will it thought to me as it assembled itself into my body, and I could only hope that something happened that was strong enough to shock it so I could have control back, preferable before it got it's wish and could feed on any of these guys.

---

 

Edward's Point of View

---

 

I spent most of the day playing on my piano, feeling that, if I went to the school again, I'd end up regretting it somehow. Plus, not only did the song in my head demand to be worked on, but Esme wanted me to stay home today, saying she hadn't gotten to spend time with me yesterday. I had agreed to do so until around the time Bella would be leaving school and heading to Port Angeles. However, before I could leave, Esme and Alice had both commandeered my help for something, something that I knew they could have done themselves. However, with the way I had been raised, I was too much of a gentleman not to help when they asked for it. This slight delay had me even more eager to get to Port Angeles, turning what was an hour trip into half the time with my speed.

Unfortunately, by the time I had gotten out of the house, they would have been there for at least an hour and a half, not counting the drive there, which would probably have been around another forty-five minutes. Because of this, I had little faith that they'd still be dress shopping, and couldn't help the panic I felt at the idea that Bella was in another position to get hurt if they weren't dress shopping. Though I hadn't said it to her, I couldn't help but feel that she was a bit of a danger magnet. The fact that she attracted myself to her was mostly why I was thinking that.

Once I was closer to Port Angeles, I started searching for the minds of Jessica and Angela – I would have added Lauren to that list, but Alice had warned me that she had decided to ditch school that day, which I was thankful for. As I had suspected, they were done shopping, and were actually at the harbor, looking at the boats there. Just when I thought I could relax, I realized that Bella wasn't with them. I panicked, searching listening in and hoping that one of them would mention where Bella had gone. Thankfully, Angela happened to mention Bella to Jessica, who's mind sneered with disgust at the fact that Bella had wanted to go to a bookstore. The name of the store flashed through her mind, and I was heading in that direction.

I wanted to get out and track her, the way I would prey, as it would be easier to do, but, though the sun was almost gone, there was still enough that it would have an adverse affect on me; plus, there were quite a few people around, and I didn't want to draw attention to myself. So I was stuck, searching the minds of everyone, hoping that someone had gotten a glimpse of her as I came closer to the area where the bookstore she went to was at, the pedestrians thinning as I drove, the moon actually rising now. I was about to get out of the car when I finally saw and heard what I wanted.

Here she come!

There was relief in my mind for a split second when I heard that. I could see her face clearly as it flashed though the mind of some guy. That relief I felt at seeing it only lasted for a fraction of a second before I heard the rest of the thoughts of the guy who saw her, as well as the thoughts of three others who had her in their sites as well. The minds were those of strangers, yet the thoughts they held were not unfamiliar to me.

“No!” I snarled, punching the gas down harder. However, the actions were useless to do, for I had no idea of where I needed to go. I knew the general location of their thoughts, but the area wasn't familiar to me, and, while I could figure out how to get there, the fact that Bella was actually being surrounded by these four guys was messing with my concentration. I needed something, anything, like a street sign, a store front, anything like that to tell me where they were at. But none of them were looking anywhere but at Bella, and, as the one whose mind I had caught first became predominate in thoughts, my hands tightened on the wheel of my car. HE was unsatisfied at Bella's fearless reactions; he wanted fear from her, enjoyed putting it on the faces of women.

More than that, though, was the fact that Bella's face actually blurred for several moments as he went through the faces of other women. Bella would not be his first victim. The sounds of my growls shook the car frame, but I ignored this as I continued to search for where their location was. I had to hurry now; the guy's mind was solely back on Bella, and he was beginning to get irritated at her lack of fear. I had to admit, I found her reactions brave, but ultimately stupid. She looked ready to fight, but there was no way she'd win against all of them.

“Stay away from me.” I was just as startled at the fact that she spoke as he was. Her voice was calm, steady, but heavy with steel at the same time. It was not the voice of someone who was near being scared. The guy wasn't sure what to think about this fact. Maybe...went through his mind as another imagine – that of another of his victims – went through his mind, excitement coursing through him once again, which almost had be denting the car wheel. The idea of subduing her excited him even more than fear did.

“Don't be like that, sugar,” the guy said, though it seemed that Bella didn't actually hear him, for she made no reply to him. I tuned into the other's mind quickly, hoping that one of them would give me the hint I so desired to see.

I hope we'll be allowed to move sooner, it's boring waiting...

...she look's like a virgin, hope I'll get to go first...

...She's so beautiful, I can't wait to be in her...

I quickly tuned back into the first of the other three that I had checked, disgusted at how the other two's thoughts were going, as well as the fact that none of them seemed to actually have any conscious. All of them were sober, and looking forward to raping and killing Bella, just as Lonnie – the guy that Bella had been keeping an eye on the most, as well as the leader of the group – had taught them.

Thankfully, before I could break the steering wheel of my car, and before I was about to jump out my car and start running up and down the streets in an attempt to find Bella that way, the guy who's thoughts were pretty tame compared to the others finally gave me the clue I was looking for, his eyes flitting over the sign proclaiming the street they were one. I shot the car in that direction, like a bat out of hell, hoping to get there soon, for 'Lonnie' had finally grown bored of waiting for Bella to do something, and was prepared to make a move. Despair ran through me as I realized that I would not get there before anything could happen, though I could keep the actual rape from happening.

I kept my mind of Lonnie, so I could keep an eye on the progress going there. My hands tightened minutely, my fingers actually causing dents to appear in the steering wheel, as a burst of excitement went through him as he took a step forward, waiting either for fear from her, or for her to spring into action, while his mind was actually imagining what it would be like to listen to her pleas for him to stop...

However, what she did do surprised him...and me.

Bella suddenly went from tense to calm, a change coming over her as her eyes snapped to his and locked on them. Like with me, a fogginess overcame his mind, all of his thoughts fading away save for doing whatever it was that she wanted. This puzzled me – and not because I tended to have the same reaction to her, but because of the fact that it was happening at all. It was clear that it wasn't just me who this effect happened to, and I had the feeling that there was something about Bella that I was missing. However, I did have to admit that I was glad for it, for Lonnie was no longer moving, just waiting for orders from her. I was the only one thankful for it, though, as the one guy who had told me where I needed to go, the one getting bored, lost what little was left of his patience as he saw that Lonnie didn't appear to be about to do anything more than what he already had done.

Enough of this waiting he thought, stepping forward while reaching his arm out, the other two following him, though at a slower pace. His hand came within inches of her arm. I could see it with my own eyes through his mind, just as he dimly registered the roar of my Volvo at the back of his mind. I was getting closer, and, as it seemed, I would get there before any damage could be done at the moment, and, in my mind, I couldn't help but imagine just how each and every one of these men would die. What happened next, though, I didn't expect. In fact, I don't think anyone could have expected it. It was enough to make my thoughts stop as shock ran through me.

Bella, who had looked as though she was so focused on Lonnie that she was unaware of the bored guy's advance, suddenly spun in a half circle, coming to face him. The glare in her eyes was reminiscint of the one she'd given Mr. Banner that one day in class, yet it was also different, with an intensity to it that it could easily scare a vampire like me. More than that, though, was the fact that there was a hint of inhumanness to it, within the anger. This inhumanness was evident when, in a move I'd never would have thought Bella capable of, the guy went flying through the air, nose cracking and breaking from the force of her unexpected kick to him. He hit the wall with a little less force than I would have thought, though it was obvious that he would have bruises.

The other guys were also sent flying, with a little less force than the one, until Bella was once again facing Lonnie, whose mind had cleared the minute she'd turned away from him, just in time for him watch as she sent his protegé flying away from them, with only one actually hitting the wall of the buildings surrounding them. He was just registering that no regular girl could do that at the same time he heard my car, the headlights throwing them all into sharp relief as I was finally able to see what was going on with my own eyes. I saw Bella looking towards my car, shock on her face.

Lonnie only just barely manage to dodge my car as I drove towards them, hoping that I would be able to hit him, but not all that worried when I didn't. Not only was I more concerned with getting Bella out of there, but I didn't care for the idea of him having what could have been an easy death. He would suffer before I granted him the death he'd be past begging for when I got my hands on him.

I let the car spin,swinging all the way around so I was facing the way I'd come, opening the door for Bella as I did so. She stood there, frozen, not with fear, but anger for a moment, before her face seemed to change, as if there was an inner fight going on inside of her.

“Bella, get in!” I snared, not wanting to be around here any longer, otherwise I was bound to do something I would regret. My words seemed to shock her out of her inner fight, and she got into the car, while I, remembering the look she had when she kicked the three guys, wondered if there was something to her inner fight that I was unaware of. However, I didn't think much of it as I saw the look of sheer relief on her face, which also helped convince me not to get out of my car and harm the guys, as I so wished to do at the moment.

Plus, though I was still thinking about murdering these fiends, the fact was that, now that she was here, my mind was wondering towards how she could have sent the one guy flying as she had, not to mention the other two as well. I wanted to know how she'd done that; truthfully, I wanted to know more than that as well. I wanted to know how she managed to confuse and cloud the mind of the one guy – along with how she could do so to my own mind as well. The only clue I had to how she did it was eye contact – that was the only time it ever really happened. That said, it didn't explain away her ability to do it.

I was also comparing my reaction to the other guy's reaction. Where I had been able to keep my mind a bit, his had seemed to completely disappear, as if just waiting to an order; a mindless drone, if you will.

I wanted answers now. I was determined to have them, and it was that determination to know them that helped my decision to leave those guys behind. Of course, before I could ask her anything, I had to calm down a bit. I looked over towards her, noticing that, while calm, she was clutching the seat with her hands tightly as I drove as fast and far as I could.

“Put on your seat belt,” I ordered her, my voice rough with hate and blood lust. It wasn't the usual blood lust, though. I had no desire to drain the guys dry. I just wanted them in pain and dead.

She locked the seat belt in place calmly, which was actually scaring me. Other than a small look of distaste on her face, as if she'd tasted something bad, she seemed oddly relaxed, as if what had almost happened didn't faze her at all. Her reaction didn't make any sense to me at all, especially after what she had just been through, what had almost happened to her. She was looking at me, I realized, from the corner of her eye, starting to look a bit worried.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice rough with that worry and concern. I looked at her, incredulous and more than a little bit guilty. After what had just happened, she wanted to know if I was okay? However, thinking about her question for a second, I knew why she was asking it. Was I okay?

“No,” I realized, my voice seething with rage. I drove to an unused driveway, parking so that I could attempt to calm down. I couldn't, unable to stop myself from imagining his head in my hands as I squeezed around his head, crushing his skull... But, in order to do what I wanted to do, I would have to leave Bella, here, alone, unprotected in the dark night. And, though it seemed that she could take care of herself, my instincts weren't willing to let me leave her.

“Bella?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes?” she replied huskily. I couldn't help my body's reaction to her unintentional tone.

“Are you okay?” I said, finally. That was really the most important thing, what should be the first priority from me. Retribution was secondary. In fact, I should have already asked this, before she had even asked me anything, but I was having a hard time prioritizing what I should do first, as my being was filled with rage at knowing what those guys wanted to do to Bella. It was making it hard to think.

“Yes,” she said, no fear in her voice. For some reason, I didn't quite believe her, despite all evidence to the contrary. Her tone seemed to say that she was hiding something, and I just couldn't find it in myself to leave her. This was probably because I just didn't want to leave her at all. Unfortunately, even though I wanted to stay with her, the majority of my mind was demanding that I find the guys, and make them pay.

“Bella, distract me, please,” I pleaded, needing something else to think about.

“Um... I spent the weekend painting the inside of my entire house with Angela. And I completely crushed Mike's dreams that I would ever go out with him,” she said. “At least, I think I did... Oh, and I'm also contemplating running Tyler over tomorrow.”

Well, that last one definitely worked. While I knew about the first two things, having seen that latter while hearing about the former through Angela's mind, the fact that she was contemplating violence – completely capable of doing it, as I'd just seen – was kind of comical to me. I think it had to do with the fact that she just appeared so fragile, like she'd break if she did something like that.

I laughed, asking, “Can I ask what Tyler did to suddenly get onto your hit list?”

“He's been telling everyone that I'm going to prom with him, though he's never even asked if I would. I figured that if I ran him over and paralyzed him, he would realized that I don't want to go with him. I might have to make sure that I don't kill him, though,” she mused.

Her words were just what I needed to calm the raging in my body, though it didn't stop any of the questions that had formed from being around her, and from seeig what had happened, what she'd done.

“Feeling better?” she asked.

“Not really,” I said, honest. “But I am distracted enough.”

“What's wrong?” she whispered, frowning at me. I took a deep breath, her scent filling my being and sending scorching flames down my throat. It reminded me of the reasons why I shouldn't want to know her as I did. Even after all this, even knowing that I loved her, she still made my mouth water. And I was sure, if I really thought about it, I could figure out perfectly rational explanations for what had happened, like that kick...that was probably from an adrenaline rush.

But what about her ability to cloud a person's mind to the point that they'll do anything she wants? And what about that look that crossed her face before the kick...

“I sometimes have a problem with my temper,” I said, bringing my attention away from asking her things. I stared out into the night, wishing both that she would hear the horror inherent in my words and yet not hear it. I mostly wished that she wouldn't. Run, Bella, run. Stay, Bella, stay. “But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn the car around, and hunt down those...”

I trailed off, the words I was saying apparent in my meaning. I looked over towards her. “At least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself.” I gave her a rueful smile. She said nothing, looking away out the window. I could see her reflection in it, noticing that her face gave nothing away. How much had she heard in my words? Why was she not trying to run away, screaming as she should be doing right now? I waited for her to speak, to say something about what I had just told her.

“Jessica and Angela will be worried for me,” she said quietly, after several more minutes. She turned towards me, interrupting my thoughts. Her voice was very calm; her face still blank. “I was supposed to meet them, and I don't want them calling the police or anything like that.”

I wasn't completely sure if she was really worried about her friends – or friend, since she didn't seem to care all that much for Jessica – or if she just wanted away from me – as she should – but I started the car anyway, heading toward La Bella Italia, knowing from the thought's I'd screened earlier from Jessica that that was where they promised to meet at. We were at the restaurant much quicker than I really expected, and probably faster than Bella thought we would be there. My thoughts were rather unorganized, and I was trying to make sense of what Bella may or may not be thinking, as useless as it was.

I noticed the backs of Jessica and Angela, standing a few feet from where I'd parked. They were worried about Bella, planning on searching for her. At least, that's what Angela wanted, for she actually was worried about what might have happened to Bella. Jessica, however, was only going to help because she was afraid of getting into trouble with Chief Swan. They were planning on heading in the direction that Bella had gone. I frowned at their thoughts; it wasn't a good time for them to be wondering around...

“How did you...” Bella began, only to break off with a look of dawning appearing on her face, and a shake of her head. It took me a second to realize that I had made another mistake. I hadn't asked her were she was planning on meeting them. Yet, she had stopped her inquiry, and I wondered what the head shake and smile meant...

I decided that it wasn't worth puzzling over her strange acceptance of my stranger knowledge. I opened my door.

“What are you doing?” Bella asked, sounding startled.

Not letting you out of my sight. Not allowing myself to be alone, in that order. “I'm taking you to dinner,” I said instead.

She made a face, but began opening her door and getting out of the car anyway. I waited for her to join me on the sidewalk, becoming anxious as I watched Angela and Jessica get closer to turning the corner. I looked at her.

“You might want to go get Angela and Jessica before I have to track them down as well. I don't think I can restrain myself if I run into your other friends again.” I knew I wouldn't be able to restrain myself if I did.

“Angela! Jessica!” Bella called, grabbing their attention. Pure relief crossed their faces as they noticed her, though it was for different reasons. Then, when they noticed me, surprise and suspicion took over.

Is that Edward Cullen? What's he doing here? Angela asked herself, a calm insurance to her emotions, only surprised at my appearance. Jessica, however, was the one who was suspicious of my appearance.

Did she really go to a book store, or was she just saying that so she could meet up with him?

“What happened? We were getting worried when you didn't show, and were about to go out looking for you,” Angela told Bella, fibbing a bit. Jessica didn't say anything, waiting anxiously for Bella to answer, positive that she'd be able to tell if Bella was lying or not.

“I ran into some trouble walking back. Edward was passing by, and decided to help me out,” she said in a blasé, offhanded way, before she turned to me. “Though, you really didn't have to.”

“I wanted to,” I told her simply, deciding to go with her cover story. She just smiled, shaking her head at me before turning back to her friends.

“Well, he passed by, and was heading to the store himself to get something for his mother, so I ended up waiting in his car for him,” she said. “It was kind of dark by that time, so I figured it would be safer to wait for him. I'm sorry I made you wait, though.

I was amazed at how quickly she was in coming up with a cover story. And a part of it was true, as well. She wasn't straight up lying, but she was downplaying her almost attack until it actually appeared tame, instead of what it actually was. I didn't say anything that would contradict it. Angela seemed to accept the explanation without a problem, while Jessica was more than a little disappointed, having hoped for some sordid story from Bella. When I saw her contemplating making plans to visit the bookstore herself to see if she could confirm the story, I knew that I should say something to keep her from doing so.

“Would it be alright if I joined you?” I asked them, politely of course. I knew, though, that they wouldn't say yes – they'd already eaten, after all. Still, what I wanted to accomplish by asking worked, so I wasn't too saddened. I noticed their eyes glaze over when I gave them the full force of my gaze, becoming unfocused. I wondered, vaguely, if that was how I looked when I looked at Bella.

Holy crap, he's hot! Jessica all but screamed in her mind, no longer thinking about any of her suspicious about Bella's and mine 'fortunate' meeting.

Angela was a bit more composed. Wish we hadn't eaten yet she thought, knowing that there was no way she could stay longer. Her parents had set a curfew for her because it was a school night, and she didn't want to betray the trust her parents had in her.

“Um, actually, we kind of already ate. Sorry, Bella,” Angels said, ignoring the stink eye that Jessica was giving her. I could tell, in her mind, that she didn't need to explain anything else to Bella, already having mentioned it to her. Bella shrugged.

“That's all right. I'm not really hungry,” she said, still calm. I just couldn't understand how she could be so calm!

“I think you should eat something,” I said to her softly, before turning to the other girls. “Do you mind if I drive Bella home tonight?”

I could tell that they weren't sure of what to do, both looking at Bella. She huffed a little, thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“Let me get my things out of Jessica's car,” she said, walking with them towards it. Taking two bags out of the trunk, she walked back to my car, placing them in the back seat, where, I suddenly realized, she'd thrown her purse, with it's book still sticking out. I had actually forgotten that she'd bought something from the bookstore, having been more focused on her, driving, and controlling myself at the time.

“See you, Bella...Edward,” Angela said, waving to Bella, who waved back. Bella waited until Angela and Jessica had turned a corner before turning towards me, a frown in her face.

“You know, I wasn't kidding about not being hungry,” she said, her tone serious, though the look on her face changed a bit when she said that, as if there was something ironic about it. I felt my brows furrow. If she really didn't want to eat, then why had she waited until her friends were gone before saying anything? Unless she actually wanted to be alone with me, despite having witnessed my murderous rage. I felt a warmth in me at the thought, thinking for a moment. I would still get to take her home, and the ride there would be enough to get the answers to my questions, but I still wanted to spend time with her. And, though it was low priority, I wanted to make sure she didn't go into shock.

“Humor me,” I said, heading up the steps to the restaurant and holding the door open. I waited for her to make a move, and was silently delighted when, though sighing as she did so, she walked up the steps herself, and through the door into the restaurant, with me following behind her.

Chapter Text

Bella’s Point of View

---

 

Okay, I can do this, I can do this...I can't do this. Crap, what am I going to do now.

Yes, it was official. I was losing it.

When Edward had offered to be the one to take me home, I couldn't help but jump at the opportunity. It was be a perfect time to tell him...everything, including the revelations I'd made in the car, which was just an extention of things I'd suspected for a while. I had to admit, I wasn't completely sure about it, but I had the feeling that I was right about what I'd just realized, in everything I was thinking. So, I figured that the drive home would be filled with talk between him and me.

However, dinner never actually entered my thoughts, and now I was becoming nervous. This actually felt like it was becoming a date, which increased my nervousness, and, because of that, I was no longer confident that I would actually stick to what I planned on doing, particularly since we actually couldn't talk here at the restaurant about most of it – the information was sensitive, not meant for others ears. Even if we were in a private section and I actually needed to eat, it wouldn't be a good place to talk. The sensitive nature of what I wanted to talk about aside, Edward would most likely end up attracting the attention of any female in there with his looks, meaning that the waitresses would most likely attempt to hover and listen in on our conversation.

However, when he had opened the door for me, and sent me a pleading look, and the fact that he had concern etched everywhere on his face, I'd been unable to not let him have his way, walking through it into the warm restaurant. That is the only reason why I'm not demanding him to start driving us back home I thought as we made our way to the hostess. I knew the minute she caught sight of Edward, the strong dose of desire burning my tongue as it coated it. A hint of dislike and jealousy ran through her when she caught sight of me standing next to him, though it faded a bit after a few moments.

It didn't take me long to realize the fact that she didn't consider me to be a threat to her attraction to Edward. Her jealously had pretty much subsides almost immediately, much quicker than I would have thought, and I knew that it was because of the fact that she probably believed me to either be a separate order than him, or a family member of his. A surge of jealousy – the same one I'd felt when Lauren had been talking about Edward being hers – ran through me, though it was overshadowed by the possessiveness than began to run through me as well.

I drifted closer to him, my hand grabbing his. I felt his stiffen slightly, not enough to be noticed unless someone was beyond observant. Without thinking about it, my thumb began to brush back and forth on his skin, calming him down before we got to the hostess and she could notice his stiffness. My jealousy and possessiveness calmed as I tasted her jealousy once more, which was just as strong as her dislike now that I was standing next to him, and holding his hand. Even if she still believed that we were siblings, it appeared that she didn't like the closeness being shown between us.

“Table for two?” Edward asked, his voice alluring. I wasn't sure if he was doing that intentionally, or if it was an accident. Either way, it still sent jealousy running through me, both at the fact that he'd spoken to her that way, and the way she responded to it. She led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the restaurant. I glared at her. It was obvious that she was doing it on purpose. Putting us here would mean that there was less of a chance of Edward and I being close together, while it was also in her line of sight. She'd be able to ogle Edward all she wanted if we sat there.

I opened my mouth, planning on saying something, when Edward beat me to it; which was probably a better option, as I would have probably been rude had I actually said anything to her.

“Perhaps something a bit more private,” he insisted quietly to her. I smiled to myself when I tasted her flare up of jealousy, though I then frowned when I saw his hand move towards here. Then, to my surprise, I saw the money in his hand. He was tipping her, simply to get us moved to a more private table that's actually set for two instead of four. I'd never seen anyone actually do that outside of old movies.

“Sure.” She was just as surprised as I was, though even more jealous now. However, she didn't really have a choice in refusing him either. Not only was he tipping her, but we could easily complain to her manager if she refused and get her fired, particularly since, as far as I knew, when it came to seating, unless there were no other choice, you weren't supposed to set two people at a table for more than that many. Of course, I didn't think we would; at least, I didn't think he would. With myself, I wasn't so sure, due to the dislike I had for her.

She turned, leading us around a partition to a small row of booths, all empty, and all suited for couples. It was easy to understand why she hadn't wanted to bring us here – the area it self seemed to be more intimate and romantic that where she originally wanted to seat us.

“How's this?” the hostess asked, and I could tell she wanted Edward to deny having us sit here. I had the feeling that she knew that the area wasn't an area you'd find siblings wanting to hang around. Which pretty much meant that it would be perfect for Edward and I.

“It's perfect,” Edward said, and she felt a moment of despair, knowing that he was actually 'on a date' with me, right before Edward flashed her a gleaming smile, which dazed her momentarily, and had me glaring at him. It took her a second to regain her baring, and, after informing us that our server would be out soon, she walked away unsteadily. I waited until she was gone before returning my glare to him as he pulled out my chair before sitting down himself, our hands parting as he did so.

“You shouldn't do that, you know?” I told him, my tone showing my disgruntlement. He looked at me curiously.

“Do what?” he asked, confused. It was his confusion over the matter that settled my glaring. Apparently, he didn't have a clue on how the female population acted around him.

“Dazzle people like that, “ I said. “She's probably hyperventilating in the kitchens right about now.”

Actually, in truth, she was dishing about Edward to the severs. I could hear one of them lightly cheering at the fact that he was in her section. I didn't bother mentioning it; the restaurant, while close to empty, wasn't private enough for any real secret divulging. At least, that was what I was telling myself. Though I was still planning on tell Edward my secrets, now that I was thinking about it again, I was becoming nervous once more. This time, what his reactions towards me would be were running through my mind. Would he hate me? Would he think I was a monster? Would he ask me to leave? Would he ask me to never speak to him again? I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle any of these reactions very well.

His confusion increased once more.

“Oh, come on,” I said. “You have to know the effect you have on people.” My obvious surprise at this fact was evident in my tone of voice.

He titled his head to one side. “I...dazzle people?” he said.

“You seriously haven't noticed? What, did you really think everyone gets their way so easily?” I asked him. He ignored that.

“Do I dazzle you?” he asked.

“Not really,” I told him. It was the truth; eye contact seemed to be the key to those he dazzled, and, since I tended to befuddle his mind if I made eye contact with him, it made it hard for him to dazzle me. Of course, that didn't mean that he didn't have other things that helped dazzle those around him, but, for the most part, it was his eyes that caused it.

My answered disappointed him. It seemed he was hoping that he could dazzle me like he did others, but, before he could speak, our server arrived just then, her face expectant. I could tell that she liked what she saw as she flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear, and smiled with unnecessary warmth at Edward, not even sparing me a glance. My eyes narrowed at her.

“Hello, my name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?” It didn't escape my attention that she also only spoke to Edward. I watned to say something about her bad manners, but the fact that Edward pretty much ignored her made it unnecessary. He pointedly looked at me, and unspoken hint that he was not only here with me, but that I was here as well. She didn't even turn toward me, and I rolled my eyes at her rudeness.

“I'll have a Coke,” I told her. She made no move to suggest that she heard me.

“Two Cokes,” Edward said, his eyes still on me.

“I'll me right back with that,” she assured him, another unnecessary smile on her face, that he didn't see either.

“What?” I asked him, once I was sure she was out of hearing range. His eyes stayed fixed on my face, trying to capture my gaze. I looked everywhere but his face, so his attempts remained unsuccessful.

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked, when he could make eye contact with me.

I shrugged. “I'm feeling fine,” I said.

“You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold..?” he asked, trailing off a bit.

I rolled my eyes at him. “I'm not going into shock, Edward. I do a pretty good job at repressing unpleasant things.” Some better than others went through my mind, but I violently pushed the thought back.

He frowned, not looking completely convinced. “Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you,” he told me. The waitress arrived then, So I had to hold my tongue. Still, I made sure that he didn't miss the eye roll I gave him.

She set our drinks down, purposely positioning herself to give him a full frontal view down her shirt, leaning down a bit farther than necessary to do so. He didn't see it, though, for he had looked out a window the minute she started leaning down, returning to look at my smirking – for I could taste the girl's disappointment that he attempt hadn't worked out all that well – face when she straightened up.

“Are you ready to order?” she asked him, ignoring me once more. I was contemplating on whether I should demand her manager, but the fact that Edward's eyes never left me, and that he, in turn, mostly ignored her was enough to keep me from doing so.

“Bella?” he asked, this time not bothering to try and make her pay attention to me through pointed looks. She turned unwillingly towards me, her jealousy at the fact that she was being ignored by him coating my tongue. Her glare at me made it clear that she didn't like me in the slightest. I gave the tiniest smirk at her, inflaming her dislike of me even more, before turning to the menu, picking the first think I saw that I would actually eat. “I'll have the four cheese ravioli.”

“And you?” she said, turning back to Edward, her glare ceasing as a coy smile immediately crossed her face.

“Nothing for me,” he told her, still not looking at her. Of course not I thought.

“Let me know if you change your mind.” The coy smile was still in place, but she still left, dissatisfied. I felt her glare at me once against before she disappeared.

“Drink,” he ordered me, pushing my soda to me. I took it and sipped at it obediently, shiver as the cold radiated through me.

“Are you cold?” he asked, concerned.

“It's just the soda,” I told him. He ignored me in favor of looking around me for a jacket.

“Don't you have a jacket?” His voice was faintly disapproving. I rolled my eyes again.

“I didn't believe that I would need one,” I told him, looking around once again. I noticed that our waitress, Amber, was standing near the kitchens, looking straight at our table with a determined look on her face. I had the feeling that she wanted to make sure neither of us did anything that she wouldn't approve of. I saw her glare at me when she saw me looking, then her eyes widen slightly when she looked back at Edward.

My own eyes drifted to him, where I found that he was shrugging out of his jacket. It was then that I suddenly realized that I had never once noticed what he was wearing, not just tonight, but ever. Even the the amount of time I spent looking elsewhere, I had never bothered to focus on his clothing. I made myself look now, focusing. He was removing a light beige leather jacket now; underneath, he wore an ivory turtleneck sweater, which fit him snugly, emphasizing his chest. I spent a few minutes ogling said chest, right before his jacket hindered my view as he handed it to me.

“Thanks,” I said, quickly moving it out of my way so that I could go back to ogling his chest. I slid the jacket on automatically, immediately noticing the scent on it, which distracted me from his chest once more. I turned my head a bit, holding up one side of it, and inhaling. It smelled amazing, and I knew immediately that this was no cologne, but his actual scent. It was addicting.

“That color of blue looks lovely with your skin,” he said. I looked down, having forgotten which shirt I had put on. I shook my head as I looked back up. I should have realized what color of blue it was. After all, he'd already seen me in it, and knew how I looked. I hoped, though, that he wasn't so partial to this shade of blue that he didn't like my dress.

“Thanks,” I told him. He nodded, then pushed the bread basket toward me. “I'm not going to go into shock,” I protested.

“You should be – a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken.” He seemed unsettled, trying and failing to catch my eyes. There was no way I was going to let that happened. I wanted him coherent, after all, so I kind of had to deny him what he wanted. However, through the small glances I let myself have of his face, I did notice that his eyes were now a light shade, lighter than I'd ever seen them be, like a sort of golden butterscotch color.

“I'm not a normal person. Plus, I was holding my own pretty well without your interference. And I feel very safe with you.” The last part was a confession, which was just what I was willing to divulge while in a restaurant that had eavesdropping hostesses and waitresses – several of the waitresses that weren't serving anyone were nearby, looking as if they'd interrupt if we did anything that didn't like. They couldn't actually hear much of what we were saying, since we were talking in low voices, but that didn't mean that they weren't trying. I had the feeling that they were also waiting for a confirmation or denial about whether or not we were dating.

Edward frowned, shaking his head. My comment had obviously displeased him.

“This is more complicated than I'd planned,” he murmured to himself, making me wonder what it was that he'd planned. I fiddled with my silverware.

“Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light,” I commented, distracting him from whatever thought had him frowning.

He stared at me, stunned. “What?” he asked.

“You're always crabbier – “and hungry I added silently – “when your eyes are black. I expect it then,” I told him. “I have a...theory about it.”

His eyes narrowed at me. “A theory?”

“Mm-hm,” I confirmed, nodding. “I also have a few other theories as well.”

In truth, I didn't have any theories, just knowledge about what he really was and an idea that would need confirmation to know if I was right or not. After all, the idea had only come to me within the last hour. And I was pretty sure that it was right, since, though Alice had never said anything, I doubted she was the only one with a gift in her family.

“And those would be...” he prompted, slightly eager to have an inside to my mind. Before I could say anything, though, the waitress strode over with my food, practically shoving it in my face. It was then that I realized that we had been unconsciously leaning toward each other, for we both straightened at that. I ended up with a heavy dose of jealousy, dislike, and satisfaction from her, before her desire took her as she immediately turned towards Edward, her saccharine smile on her face.

“Did you change your mind?” she asked. “Isn't there anything I can get you?” I wasn't imagining the double meaning behind her words as she subtly pushed her shoulders back, trying to bring Edward's attention to her though the use of her chest. Edward, though, never stopped looking at me as she shook his head, and, once again, she left dissatisfied.

“You were saying?” he asked once she was mostly gone, for she'd joined the other waitresses that were all looking at us.

“I'll tell you about it in the car, if...” I paused, thinking of the best way to put it. He seemed to take my silence a certain way.

“There are conditions?” he asked, trying to sound as if he found it humorous. However, his entire body was tense, which ruined the effect.

“Well, yes, of course there are, but that's not what I was going for,” I told him.

“Well, what were you going for, then?” he asked. I still wasn't sure how to say what I wanted to say.

“I...if...” I started, paused, and plowed on. “I was gong to say if...” This was it I thought to myself. If I got the next bit out, there was no way to turn back. “If you will give me the same consideration that I will give you when...when I tell you my secret.”

There, I had said it. Now, to see if he would take the bait...

I tasted his emotions as they flipped through him. Shock, curiosity, confusion, insecurity... Those and several more coated my tongue, though I never tasted the one emotion that I had been expecting to taste. I realized then that he had known that there was something...off about me, something unnatural. He was not surprised at all that I was hiding something, which shocked me a bit, but worried me even more. If he was able to see this, who knew who else was able to do so as well. Then again, if I was right about him having a gift and what it was, then perhaps I had nothing to worry about...

“I do, however, have some questions for you that can be asked here in the restaurant,” I added, before he could say anything as realization flowed through him. I took another sip of my coke, waiting for him to say something. The tone I'd used would assure it, as I gave the impression that he had to let me ask my questions if he wanted to know anything. He didn't say anything straight away, and I began on my ravioli dish as I waited for him to speak.

“What do you want to know?” he finally asked, just as I figured he would eventually.

I decided to start with the most undemanding. At least, I believed it was the most undemanding.

“Why are you in Pot Angeles?” I asked.

“Next,” he said, folding his hands onto the table, a hint of a smirk on his face.

“But that's the easiest question,” I said, whining a bit. He just repeated himself. I sighed, spearing another ravioli and eating it while thinking of how to focus my next question. I had the feeling that he was going to be wishing that he'd answered my first question once I'd asked him this next one...if I could figure out how to phrase it correctly. I wasn't quite sure of it, but I figured that a blunt question would probably knock him off guard, which was what I wanted.

“Okay, then, but you have to answer this one,” I told him, pausing for a moment, and then springing my question on him. “Why do you think you can't read my mind?”

It was shocking to him to hear me say that, for he hadn't been expecting it. And this was the thing that I had guessed about, the thing that I wasn't sure if it was right or not, though I suspect that I was. I had evidence to support this fact, too: He had known how to find me earlier, known where I was meeting Angela, and, though I hadn't really registered it a whole lot, some of the things he's done in the past, when speaking to me, suggested that he could. It would explain how he knew to call me Bella, among other things. Most than that, though, was the fact that he didn't seem to be able to read me – he had made too many mistakes about it, and he would know what I was if he could read my mind. So, it was natural, after that evidence, to believe that I was an exception to his talent.

“Um, I, uh...” I smiled. I had made him stutter. However, just as quickly as my smile had appeared, it disappeared as a part of me felt that he might try to deny it. So, I quickly added, “And don't tell me that you can't. You haven't done a really good job of hiding it from me, particularly today. I mean, there was no way you would have been able to find me without being able to do so, and you knew exactly where I was going to be meeting Angela at without me mentioning it to you. While sure, you might have just stumbled upon me and recognized me, I really doubt that you were that lucky, and there is no way you could have known where we were going to be meeting without me or one of them noticing you or your car. Plus, there's also the way you act at school, where you say something that there really is no way for you to know that well, even if you try to say it's from seeing their faces or something.”

He looked aghast over my observations, torn over some internal debate. I reached over for his hand, grabbing it before he could pull it away. The coldness of them should have bothered me, but all I felt was an electric thrumming emanating from them.

“You can trust me, you know,” I said gently, biting my lip. “I mean, I am going to be tell you my secrets as well, so your going to get something in return as well.” I thought that the reminder that this wouldn't be a one-sided deal would help make him feel better.

“I don't think I have much of a choice, anyway,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “I was wrong before – you're so much more observant than I gave you credit for.”

“I smiled at that, having the feeling that he didn't often admit to being wrong. Of course, it made sense, since he was most likely able to just pluck what he wanted from someone's mind, unless they knew about his talent and was able to misdirect him.

“Something tells me that your not used to being wrong,” I commented jokingly, hoping to see him laugh. It worked.

“Your right, I'm not. You're the only one whom I seem to get things wrong about,” he said, a half-smile on his face. The smile fell, though, as he continued to speak. “And then there's you, someone whose a magnet for trouble. It seems that if there's anything in a ten-mile radius, it'll invariably find you.”

I scowled at him as I let go of his hand, though I couldn't deny it. After all, how many humans would attract a succubus who decides that, instead of eating you, she'd stalk you instead, and would be around to change you without showing any suspicion because she just happens to be around when your in a car accident. And then, of course, there is the fact that I ended up moving to a town with vampires, almost get hit by a van, and then, just moments ago, was almost attacked. I considered that to be the worst of my problems, since I had been taken over by the monster for several moments, prepared to feed on them, something that sickened me more than anything. Even if they deserved it, I didn't want to be a murderer.

“You put yourself in that category as well?” I asked, somehow knowing that he did. I didn't, though. It probably had something to do with the fact that he seemed to have an affinity of saving my life a lot, however unneeded it was. Truthfully, I had the feeling that his reasons for doing so was the fact that he hungered for me, I the same way I did for him. I wondered what he would do when he learned about that.

His expression turned cold at my question. “Unequivocally,” he answered. I reached across the table again, ignoring, again, when he tried to pull his hand back from mine half-heartedly, touching the back of his hand softly with my fingertips.

“Thank you,” I said, remembering that I hadn't actually said it yet, though I should have earlier. “That's twice now.”

His face softened. “Let's not try for three, agreed?”

“ don't know if I can agree to that,” I told him softly. “Things just keep happening that I really don't have complete control over.”

He frowned again, turning his hand over and capturing my fingers in his grasp, leaning forward.

“I followed you to Port Angeles,” he admitted, speaking in a bit of a rush. “I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's so much more troublesome than I would have suspected. Of course, that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes.” He paused. I knew that it should probably bother me over the fact that he had been following me; I had been bothered when Ashanti had admitted to doing the same thing. Yet all that I felt was a strange surge of pleasure. I wasn't sure if it was because he was following me, or not.

“So, if you followed me here, then how come it took you so long to find me?” I asked him.

“I was a bit late in coming here to begin with,” he admitted. “I only knew that you would be here because I listened into your conversation the previous day...”

He trailed off, almost as if realizing that he didn't meant to mention that, but I just smiled at him.

“Did you ever think that you're interfering with fate? That, maybe, my number was up the first time, with the van?” I asked him, though I knew that I wouldn't have been hurt. Truthfully, my number had probably been up due to the car accident, which Ashanti had interfered with. Of course, since I had told him that the car accident wasn't that bad, he wasn't aware of that little fact...yet.

“That wasn't the first time,” he said, his voice hard to hear with how low it was. “You number was up the first time I met you.”

It was then that I remembered the first day we had 'met'; my first day of school. I had forgotten about that, since I had been more concerned with my own reactions to him to the point that I had only cataloged his reactions and emotions just well enough to how they helped me, not paying a whole lot of attention to them at the time, and then, afterward, just knowing that he hungered for me in the same way I did for him. But now, I remembered them and their intensity; the shocking want, the hunger, that I had felt from him.

“You remember?” he asked, his face grave. However, there was a hint of surprise on my tongue from him; he didn't really know how I had remembered, since I not only hadn't looked at him that day. Of course, I hadn't needed to see him to know – his emotions were enough for me.

“Yes,” I said, calmly.

“And yet you sit here...” There was more than a trace of disbelief in his voice.

“Yes, I sit here...because of you. Because you somehow knew how to find me today...?” I prompted, realizing that we'd gotten off of the topic we were actually talking about, twice. I was willing to wait before asking questions about his mind reading, but I wouldn't budge on knowing how he'd found me. He pressed his lips together, contemplating his answer. I took another bite; just because I didn't really need to eat it didn't mean that I wouldn't. It was actually pretty good – I was about halfway through my plate, in fact.

“It's harder than it should be,” he started suddenly, speaking just enough for me to hear, and I looked at him. “Keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before, but that's not exactly possible with you. So, I started looking for Angela's and Jessica's mind. Of course, as I mentioned before, I didn't get here until you'd already left them. That had me panicked a bit, until I heard where you'd gone. I was heading to the bookstore that Angela had mentioned you'd gone to, though I was keeping an eye out for you in the minds of others, for I was feeling a bit anxious.

“And then –“ he stopped, clenching his teeth together in sudden fury. I heard them grind as he made an effort to calm himself down, most likely for my sake.

“You heard that someone found me, but then heard what they were thinking as well,” I deduced. Well, that answered the question of how he had found me. I knew that one of them had been bored – I guess he must have looked around, since the area we were in didn't really allow for easy identification from the other areas near it. Of course, thinking about it, the guy who most likely had been bored was the one who tried to speed things up and grab me. I had to wonder what Edward thought about how I sent him – and the other two – flying.

“It was very...hard – you can't imagine how hard – “ I wouldn't be so sure of that I thought, remembering how I actually hadn't wanted to leave, the monster in me very much in control at the time. In fact, had he not appeared, I would have murdered them. It was obvious, to me, that Edward had way more control than I did, for not following his instincts. – “for me to simply take you away, and leave them...alive,” he admitted. “I could have easily let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I knew that, if I did, I would have gone looking for those men.”

He wasn't looking at me as he said this, and I figured he wasn't going to say anything else after a few moments of silence. I finished the rest of my food, mostly so I would have an excuse not to talk. I had already finished my coke, taking his a few moments ago, when he'd still been talking. I knew he wouldn't mind – he'd even pushed it towards me a bit when they'd first been put onto the table after all. As I placed the fork down for the final time, he looked up at me.

“Are you ready to go home” he asked, his eyes trying to seek mine. I still didn't let him look into them – I wanted him coherent. However, I knew that, if looked into them, I would see that they were full of questions.

“I'm ready to leave,” I amended, grateful that we had at least an hour long drive home together. I wasn't quite ready to say good-bye to him yet, plus we still had things to talk about – which, of course, made me remember that I would be telling him what I was, which made me nervous again as well. I bit my lip as the waitress appeared, before she could be called over. It was obvious that she had been watching and listening to us.

“How are we doing?” she asked Edward, once again ignoring me. This time, though, I wasn't going to continue letting her do this. Not only had she been completely rude to me, but the way she continued to eat Edward with her eyes was driving jealousy through me. However, that wasn't what really set me off; it was the fact that I could see a number on the back of the receipt as she prepared to hand it to Edward, sans the little black book that I knew was supposed to be around it.

“Excuse me,” I said, before Edward could say anything to her. She turned towards me unwillingly, a glare on her face once again. That glare would be gone by the time I was finished speaking, though, so I wasn't too bothered by it. “I suggest that you get some manners and stop ignoring me, and glaring at me whenever your have to talk or hear me. Otherwise, I might just have to talk to your manager about your manners towards your customers. It's obvious he –“ I motioned to Edward – “is here with me, on a date, and it is very rude to proposition him when he's with another woman. Now, I suggest you have some manners next time come here, else I'm afraid that you just might end up out of a job once your manager knows what a whore you are. After all, a fine restaurant like this has a reputation to uphold.”

Just as I knew, the glare on her face was gone by the time I finished speaking. In fact, most of the color was gone from her face. My words had frightened her; I had the feeling that she needed this job. And I could tell that I was right about the last bit; she probably would be fired if it was known she was acting like the hooker she'd been acting like tonight. It was obvious that she needed to be bitch-slapped, or threatened – who knew how many men she'd flirted with when they were with a significant other. While I knew that most of those men would probably have taken her up on it, the fact was that, even though Edward hadn't shown an ounce of interest in her, she was still trying to get into his pants.

“Now, we would like the check, thank you,” I continued, turning towards Edward, who was slightly shocked over what I'd done. However, a half-smile crossed his face for a moment for some reason, though his surprise was still on full blast. I couldn't help but wonder why he'd smiled for a moment there, and I didn't have time to ask him anything, for he'd took the check from her, putting several bills with it before handing it back to her.

“No change,” he said, standing up and walking over to where I sat. He held out a hand to me, and I took it, letting him help me up. I held onto his hand as we began to walk away.

“Good evening,” I told her cheerily, as if I hadn't just threatened her. Then, I all but pulled him out of the place to his car. He opened my door automatically, closing it once I got in, and then I watched as he walked over to the driver's side of the car, going the right speed so that no one could think he was inhuman. It was much better than he had done before.

Once he was inside, he started the engine, turning the heater on high. I had the feeling that it must have gotten pretty cold, but I couldn't feel it. His jacket was warm enough for me that the heater really wasn't needed. He pulled out into the traffic, without even looking, flipping around to heard toward the freeway.

“Now,” he said significantly, “it's your turn.”

“No, not yet,” I said. “We kind of got off topic of what we were talking about in there. I still have a few question about the mind reading I wanted to know. Plus, you really didn't answer my question on why you think you can't hear me.”

He sighed, and I could tell that he wanted to know what I had to tell him, but I could tell that he also didn't want to deny me what I wanted to know.

“Aren't we past all of the evasiveness,” I grumbled, knowing that he would hear. He almost smiled.

“What are your questions?” he asked, his lips pressing together in a cautious line.

“Well my first one is how does it work – your mind-reading thing? Can you read anybody's mind, anywhere? Is there any limitations? Can anyone else in your family do it? Do you know of anyone else who can do it?” I stopped there, thinking, and then added, “And what's your theory about why you can't read my mind?”

I had one other question, but I decided to save it for later.

He gave me a look, as if to say Is that all?

“It's like being in a huge hall filled with many people, everyone talking at once. It's just a hum in my mind, though, until I focus on one, and then I can hear what they're thinking clearly. Most of the time, I tune it out; easier to seem normal when I'm not answering someone's thoughts rather than their words. I'm not sure why I can do it, though, so I don't know how it actually works.

“So far, with the exception of you, I can read anybody's thoughts, but they do have to be within a certain radius for me to do so. The more familiar someone's 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them, but it's still no more than a few miles. I can only read what a person's thinking, so if they've figured out the fact that they can't be heard by me a for a few miles, or they know of my talent, they can hide certain thoughts from me by thinking of something else.

“I'm the only one in my family who can do it, and, though I have heard of others who have a similar talent, I am the only one I know of who can do it the way I do.” I wondered about who it was that he was talking about, but didn't question it. He paused after that, thinking about what he was going to say next.

“As for why I can't read your mind, I really don't know the answer to that,” he finally admitted. “The only guess I have is that your mind doesn't work the same way that everyone else's does. Like your thoughts are on an AM frequency, and I'm only getting FM.”

He grinned at me, suddenly amused.

“My mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?” The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. They were unneeded; I already knew that I was a freak – I was a succubus, after all. So it shouldn't have been such a surprise, yet I had to wonder if his inability to read my mind had to do with the fact that I wasn't human or vampire, or if what I'd always suspected as a human – that I worked on a different wavelength than others – had really been true. Of course, there was no way for me to find out about this or not, since I was no longer human.

“I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that you're the freak,” he said, laughing, and I couldn't hep but feel a bit better from his words. I suddenly wondered if, perhaps, he's somehow had figured out what I was going to say, which was why he'd been amused earlier. I would admit, even though I had been able to predict it, that hadn't stopped me from saying it anyway. So I couldn't get mad at him.

“Don't worry, it's just a theory...” he said. Exactly I thought, but I paid more attention to him. I saw his face tighten, which had me frowning. “Which brings us back to you.”

I sighed. How to begin?

“Aren't we past all the evasions now?” he reminded me softly. I looked toward him, about to tell him to give me a moment, but my eyes happened to see the speedometer first.

“Holy crow!” I screeched, my heart starting to beat a bit faster. “Slow down!”

“What's wrong?” he asked, startled. The car didn't decelerate.

“You're going a hundred miles an hour!” I was still shouting. I couldn't help it; memories of the accident I had been in flashed before my eyes. I may have a cop for a father, but the fact that I didn't see him often meant that any of the lessons he'd tried to impart on me for obeying the speed limit never sunk in, so I, like almost any other teen, never bothered to keep near the speed limit. At least, that was how it was until I intimately met a semi-truck. I had gotten pretty lucky there – at least, that's what everyone had told me. The truck had hit into the back end of the passengers side of the car, but I knew better. It had been much worse than they knew – it had been bad enough that Ashanti had found an opportunity to change me.

I shot a panicky glance out of the window, though that didn't do anything to help me. All I could see the blur of the trees, looking very much like a wall of steel if we were to veer of the road at this speed.

“Relax, Bella,” he said, rolling his eyes and still not slowing down.

“Are you trying to kill us?” I demanded, starting to boarder on being hysterical. I wasn't quite thinking right at the moment.

“Where not going to crash,” he insisted. I actually hit being hysterical at that moment, shrill laughter bubbling up from my throat. Just because we wouldn't instigate a crash didn't mean that something else couldn't come around and cause one.

“Did you happen to forget that I was in a car accident last year?” I asked, still panicky and hysterical. He shot a swift glance at me, worried for me.

“Keep your eyes on the road!” I screeched. He looked back, but not before he had taken a good look at me. I wondered what he saw, though wasn't too concerned over it, as whatever it was, it was enough for me to get what I wanted. He sighed, though I could tell that he was still concerned over me to really be all that bothered, and I watched with relief as the needle gradually drifted toward eighty. My hysteria calmed with that, though panic still bubbled underneath the surface.

“A bit slower, please?” I begged. The needle drifted to hover near seventy.

“Happy?” he asked, not sounding completely happy himself. I didn't care, though, as my heart began to slow down.

“It's better,” I said, beginning to breathe properly again.

“I hate driving slow,” he muttered, at a tone that suggested I wasn't supposed to hear. I rolled my eyes as the last bit of my panic disappeared.

“Oh, I'm so sorry my peace of mind demands you go slower,” I said sarcastically, having calmed down by now.

“I'm still waiting for your theory and secret,” he said, bringing the conversation away from his driving. I bit my lip.

“You might want to go a little bit slower, then,” I said.

“I'm already going slow. Why would I go even slower than this?” he snapped.

“Oh, in case you suddenly decide to brake when I tell you,” I said.

He rolled his eyes. “Tell me what?” he asked, his tone suggesting that there was no way he would brake once I told him. I rolled my own eyes at him.

“Oh, just that I know you're a vampire,” I said casually, pretending to be interested in my nails as I anxiously awaited his reaction. I was suddenly thrown towards the dashboard, my seat belt locking, as he immediately braked, just as I predicted he would. My hand shot out, catching the dashboard automatically, helping keep my body from smashing into it. I had to admit, his reactions when I shocked him were something I doubted I would ever become tired of.

Once the car had stopped completely, he turned toward me, eyes wide.

“Wha...how...” he didn't seem to know what to say. I swallowed, knowing that it was getting closer to the time my own secret would be known to him.

“I've known since my first day of school. Do you remember how I went into the forest that day, after Biology?” I asked him. I had the feeling that he had at least seen me leaving it, considering how I had sense his gaze on me soon after I'd gotten back. He nodded. “That's when I was told.”

“By who?” he asked. I bit my lip again.

“By...” I trailed off, then took a deep breath. “By my maker.”

Confusion coated my tongue. “But your not a vampire,” he stated. I laughed, unable to help it. Considering how much older he was, surely he knew that Vampires weren't the only supernatural creatures out there. I mean, I at least had age, and my unwillingness to listen to Ashanti working against me. He really had not excuse not to know. Then again, I probably should have realized that; he would have known what I was within the first few meetings of me if he did.

“Do you honestly think that vampires exist?” I ashed rhetorically. I didn't give him time to answer. “No, there are other creatures out there, though I don't know them all. I just happen to know what you, and what I, am.”

“And what are you?” he asked, slowly, hesitantly. I swallowed harshly. This is it I thought to myself. This is where I'll find out if he can handle knowing the truth or not. I took another deep breath.

I'm a succubus,” I said.

---

 

Edward's Point of View

---

 

“I'm a succubus.”

I stared at her, shocked as those words came from her. There's no such thing as succubi I mentally thought, but I didn't voice it. I knew that it was an automatic, thoughtless statement, one much like 'There's no such thing as vampire.' I wasn't sure if it shocked me that she wasn't as human as I believed she was, or not. Then again, I'd seen a good bit of evidence that didn't support the idea of her being human. I shook my head, just staring at her.

When she had first said that she knew that I was a vampire, my first though, other than shock, had been to deny it. I had been unable to get the words out, though. In fact, the only words I could get out was an unfinished what and how, which she seemed to understand. I was even more shocked when she had said that it was her maker that had told her what I was, along with the fact that she had known for all this time that I was what I was.

I was, however, still having trouble wrapping my head around the concept of her being a succubus. Considering that being a vampire gave me plenty of room to wrap my heard around it, that was saying a lot. However, the revelation that she herself was a supernatural creature, one that I had never really heard of – while Tanya and her sisters were called succubi, that was mostly just toward the way they used to hunt. They were, after all, still vampires, and still drank blood.

It was still pretty...mind blowing. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more that I realized that it made sense. I'd seen her in action – hell, I'd been a victim of hers, in a way. After all, I did remember how it was when I'd make eye contact with her, how I was prepared to do anything she wanted, all with the hopes that I'd get a kiss from her. I also remembered how others would have the same reaction, though I mostly ignored it since several other male students repeatedly daydreamed of being with her. I now realized that her lack of eye contact wasn't because she may be shy or anything like that; it was because she was something supernatural.

And then, of course, was what had happened earlier this evening, the way she had dealt with her would be attackers. I remembered how she had managed to befuddle the one guy, and kick the other three away from her when the one had reached for her. I remembered the look of inhumanness crossed her face; it was because she wasn't human, or, rather, she hadn't been thinking like a human. Surprisingly, considering the fact that she was a supernatural creature like I was, she acted very much like a human; she appeared very much human. Then again, since I had no clue what she fed on – or if she was even feeding properly – and the fact that I had never met another of her kind – that I know of – made it hard to know these things.

It was strange of how easy I was beginning to accept this, just as strange as it was for her to accept me.

“Edward.” Her voice cut through my thoughts, and I realized that I had almost forgotten that she was in the car with me. I'd also almost forgotten that I was driving, though at a slower speed than I usually drove.

“Edward, are you okay?” she asked, looking at me concerned. Now that I knew there was a reason for it, I wasn't surprised at her lack of eye contact. I nodded my head to her.

“It's just a bit overwhelming,” I told her. “While I'd noticed some things that suggested that you weren't a normal human. I didn't really think that you weren't a human, though.” Of course, I didn't bother mentioning to her that I'd wondered if she was human at all the day that Mr. Banner had them doing blood typing. That was really the only time I had ever wondered if she was or wasn't. Of course, I later realized that it was entirely possibly for someone to smell blood – I'd asked Carlisle, who had informed me that there were some human's out there who had a more sensitive nose than others, thus making it completely possible for her to smell blood as she said.

“Are...are you...angry that I didn't tell this before?” she asked, though I noticed that there was something in her tone, something that sounded as if she was asking this out of courtesy, not for an actual answer. In fact, the look on her face made me think that she might already know the answer, strangely enough. It made me wonder what, exactly, be a succubus was like for her.

However, before asking about that, I thought about her question. Was I angry that she hadn't informed me that she was a succubus? The answer to both of the questions was a resounding no. I wasn't angry with her for either offenses. I knew that I would have probably panicked if she had straight out told me that she knew I was a vampire earlier on, and I probably wouldn't have believed her if she had told me she was a succubus before I'd been given enough evidence of him before hand.

However, now that I knew and had thought about it, I was extremely curious to know about some things. I heard her sigh.

“What do you want to know?” she asked, sounding a bit resigned. I wondered why she sounded like that, then wondered how she had known I had some questions I wanted answered. I finally figured that she must have seen the curiosity on my face, but decided that I would include it on on the questions for her.

“Of course,” she started, before I could say anything. “I would like it if you would drive as we speak. I would like to get home at a decent hour. And, if you shouldn't finish your questions on the drive, we can talk tomorrow – assuming that you'll be at school.”

That was when I was reminded that I hadn't restarted our journey toward her house. As much as I liked the fact that I had given myself more time with her, I knew that I should have her home at a decent hour, preferably before Jessica got home, for, when I passed by Angela's car, I'd seen her contemplating calling Bella's father once she got home for some reason, though I had the feeling that it was so that she could get Bella into trouble with the Chief. I couldn't help but feel that it would do nothing, though – I'd seen just how Bella had acted to her father the other day, so I had the feeling that Bella would do something like that again.

Still, I didn't think that it would be a good idea for that to happen, and so I pulled away from the shoulder I'd parked on, continuing our journey while thinking about what question I wanted to ask first.

“Oh, please note that each question you ask me, I am allowed to avoid some of them,” she added. I thought about it, nodding, then asked, “When did it happen?”

I saw her wince from the corner of my eye; either she was hoping I wouldn't ask that, or it was a bad memory.

“Remember that car accident I told you about,” she said. I nodded. “Well, may have been playing it down a bit about what actually happened. Sufficient to say, that was really the last time I was actually human.”

My mouth opened, and I suddenly remembered her reaction when she'd seen how fast I was going. Suddenly, it made sense as to why she was so frightened. Being in an accident is probably scary enough – being in one where you actually died is probably worse. I looked over to her, to apologize for being so callous about the whole driving slow thing, but she was looking ahead at the road, and continued to speak.

“I actually died that day,” she added, turning toward me. “I also lied when I told you that I was seventeen, though, had I been human, I would be that age. I was sixteen when the accident happened.”

“How did it...how were you changed,” I asked, when it became clear that she wouldn't say more on the subject. She shrugged.

“I don't really remember. I was unconscious for pretty much the entirety of the change up until I woke up in the hospital. And I've never bothered to ask my maker how she'd turned me,” Bella said. Strangely, I was partially disappointed, but happy to know that she hadn't suffered much. However, it appeared that I spoke too soon.

“I do, however, remember how it felt when I first woke up. It was like a hot poker had been shove down my throat, and as if something was eating my insides. I was ravenous, and I didn't care about anything but feeding that hunger. It wasn't until after I'd satisfied it that I'd realized that I had killed someone. She spoke matter of factly as she said this, but I could hear the hidden pain in her voice over the person she'd accidentally killed. I also had the admit that the why she spoke about how it had felt when she woke up, about the whole poker down the throat thing, reminded me about how my own throat often felt when I was hungry.

“I was told later that the first kill was the most important, the deciding factor of whether I would live or die, in fact,” she said.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“My maker told me that if I hadn't fed within the first week of my turning, I would have died for real. Not that it looks like I'm dead right now,” she said, snorting. “I'm pretty sure that you can tell this fact. My heart still beats. While I don't absolutely need it, my body does crave air. I can still eat regular food, and go to the bathroom, and...” she trailed off as understanding went through me. No wonder I hadn't been able to realize that she wasn't human. She had so many human attributes that it made it hard to know that she wasn't straight away.

I just...I just have a different diet than most, and I won't age,” she said. “Also, the only way I'll die is if I'm killed.”

“Why do you avoid eye contact?” I asked next. While I had a rudimentary idea of it, I wanted to know more about it. And this was just one of the things I was curious about concerning what she may or may not be able to do.

“I avoid it because of...well,” she started, then paused, thinking, before starting again. “Look, it's probably better if I just give you a rundown of things that all succubi can do. Otherwise, it might not make complete sense.

“The first thing I have to say is that, like vampires, we have our own weapons to draw in our prey. First off, like you, we're all attractive, without giving off the inhuman vibe that you do. Humans are actually comfortable around us, and we don't stand out all that much.” I didn't need her to say that to me, as I could already tell that it was a possibility.

“The attractiveness isn't the only thing we have in common with vampires, either,” she said. “I can run just as fast as you can, I'm just as strong as you, and, as I said before, I won't age or die unless I'm killed. And, also like you, we have ways of...confusing our prey. Only, where your voice and scent would do it, we, instead, have something that's called the Draw. Or, that's what I call it.”

“And what is that, exactly?” I asked.

“It's just something we can do,” she told me. “It's activated through eye contact, and it basically befuddles the mind, erasing each and every though there except to do anything that the succubus wants them to do, and also leaving a very strong desire to kiss the succubus. It makes it easier for us to feed, as it keeps our prey from fighting, though I do know that some can break through it.”

“And that's why you avoid eye contact,” I murmured.

“Yes,” she said. “I mean, I haven't gotten any control over it, and it's harder to fight the need to feed when I know that the prey will practically beg to get a kiss from me.”

I nodded, knowing that, if I was in her shoes, I'd do the same thing.

“And that's...well, there is something else that comes with being what I am,” she said. “I can taste emotions.”

I looked at her from the corner of my eye. “Taste emotions?” I said. “What do you meany, taste emotions?”

“Exactly what I said,” she commented. “We taste emotions. We're almost like an empath, only, instead of feeling it, we end up with some type of flavor that coats our tongues, letting us know what someone is feeling. Like your confusion. I taste it every time you've felt it – it tastes like lemons. And your curiosity, it's tastes like honey. Each emotion you feel, I taste them. And the strength, well, that little factor depends on two things. The first is how strongly your feeling the emotions, while the second is how much energy you have coursing through you. And I really don' appreciate the disbelief, either.” Her voice was severe as she said that.

I felt more than a bit of shame for not believing her straight up – I had no reason not to, as I honestly could dispute what she was saying. Then, I felt and overwhelming curiosity come over me.

“What does each emotions taste like?” I asked. She rolled her eyes at that.

“There are too many emotions, and too many tastes to name them all,” she said, and I sense that she'd rather not get into that at the moment. “And I wasn't exactly given a manual of them, either. I've mostly had to learn what each one is through intuition, and watching the expressions of the person feeling them. There are some, though, that are easier to figure out than others.”

“Sorry,” I said. “But you honestly can't blame me for being curious about that.”

She chuckled at that. “No, I don't suppose I can,” she murmured. She cleared her throat. “Well, there you have it. We're a lot like vampires, in all honesty. We just look a bit more human, and have something you don't to substitute that little fact.”

I nodded, my mind going to the one thing I was mostly curious about. I mean, I could tell that, when she mentioned being like vampires, that meant that human's were a food source for her. After all, she did say that she'd killed the first person she'd fed from, but, other than that, and references about her abilities, she hadn't said much more about it...

“Are you not going to ask me about my diet?” she suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts.

“I figured that you fed on humans, and were able to do so without killing them,” I answered honestly. “It's why I wasn't planning on asking.”

She looked disbelieving at me before looking down and shaking her head.

“I wouldn't mind if I could,” she muttered lowly, before looking at me. “I don't have the control to be able to stop once I start. I know it's possible – some succubi do enter contracts like that with some humans, so long as the humans don't tell anyone about us. But those ones are ones who've been succubi for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and have perfected their control. And, unfortunately, I don't have control like that – it's not an automatic skill.”

My eye brow furrowed.

“Then what do you feed on?” I asked, confused. I tried to think of if there were any reports of people found dead without a cause, when I remembered the reports missing people in Seattle – as well as the one in Port Angeles. Comprehension dawned on me, but, before I could say anything, she spoke.

“You haven't figuring it out yet,” she said, shaking her head. The look on her face suggested that she knew what I was thinking, and that I was wrong about it. “I'm not responsible for the missing people in Seattle, though I will admit to the one in Port Angeles. That was a pure accident, though. Truthfully, I don't feed, at least, not the way I'm supposed to.”

I almost pressed down the brake again.

“Are you telling me that you starve yourself?” I asked, horrified.

“Somewhat,” she said. “Unlike you, who has to drink blood, I don't actually have to feed. It's more like a want than an actual need, a way to have energy or look truly alluring, as it is. If I get super hungry, regular human food can satisfy it. It's probably why I can still eat it, because it can still help energize me. Of course, my energy doesn't actually fluctuate quickly. I only need to eat about once or twice a week, though they'd have to be big meals. And small meals, like what I just ate, don't do me much good, either.”

Knowing that she could do that made me feel a little better, though I had the feeling that she was downplaying it a bit. I mean, if that was possible, then shouldn't she have control over her Draw more than she did? And wouldn't she be able to stop feeding on someone if it was an actual want, not a need? Before I could ask either of these, though, she spoke again, though it was so quiet that I had the feeling that she didn't mean for me to hear it.

“Of course, it has been a little harder to resist since I've met you,” she muttered, then smacked herself in the forehead, as if berating herself for letting me hear that. Well, it seemed that she knew about the super hearing, then. It made me wonder if she had something like that, since she didn't say.

I turned to her, to ask about what she meant, when she said, “Later. It's my turn to ask the questions now.”

I was a bit disappointed in knowing that she wasn't going answer that question at the moment. But then, she had been telling me about everything else for a while now, and I doubted that she had that many questions to ask me anyway, for she already knew a good amount of information about vampires, and we'd already talked about my mind reading abilities. I couldn't imagine what else she might want to know.

“So, I already know about your mind reading abilities, as well as the fact that you're a vampire,” she mused out loud, saying exactly what I had been thinking. “And I know most of your abilities as a vampire, as well as how you eat... I know. It's time for a more personal look about you.”

Now, I was wary. What did she mean, 'a more personal look'?

“When were you born, and when were you turned?” she asked, immediately clearing up my question. I should have realized that she would ask this. It made sense that she would want to know this. I wondered if it would bother he with how old I was, then realized that I was being rude in making her wait. I could tell that it hadn't been easy for her to explain everything she did to me, despite the way she had spoken, and it was only courteous of me to return the favor.

“I do wonder if it will bother you,” I murmured, then said, louder, “I was born in 1901, and changed in 1918. It was when the Spanish influenza struck, a few months after my birthday. I was seventeen, and I'd caught the disease after both of my parents had – in fact, I was admitted to the hospital the day my father died of it. Being in the hospital did no good, though. The doctor's weren't sure of how to cure it, and they were extremely overcrowded with patients at the time.

“Carlisle was our doctor. He'd been alone for decades, not having found a companion who shared his...diet and compassion for human life. He was in need of a companion, but was loathed to take a person's life away. And then, there I was about, about to die anyway...” I trialed off as the memories of my change entered my mind. I didn't hate Carlisle for changing me. Sure, there were times I hated this life, but I'd never really hated Carlisle – even though I had acted like it. Thankfully, before I could get too lost in my memories, she asked her next question.

“Have you always stayed with Carlisle? Have you always followed his feeding habits? What are his feeding habits anyway?” she asked, and I wondered why she seemed to be speeding through her questions.

“No, I left about ten years after my...creation. It was a...teenage rebellion, my leaving. I didn't like him for curbing my appetite, and went off on my own. And we drink the blood of animals,” I said, adding the last bit because she'd asked about our feeding habit. I was about to say more when she spoke.

“Because you don't want to be monsters,” she said softly, saying what I'd been able to say. I wondered how she'd known that, and then I realized it.

“Yes,” I whispered, understanding going through me. This was why she didn't feed. She didn't want to kill anyone any more than we did. Only, where we could feed on animals, she really had no other options. She nodded, looking out the window once more, a frown coming to her face. I paid more attention to our surroundings, realizing that we were nearing her house. While we had talked, I'd gone back to my normal speed without her realizing it, getting us to her house in record time.

“Last question, for tonight,” she said, as I turned onto her street. “Will you be in school tomorrow?”

I smiled at that, chuckling at the rather unexpected question. I also felt elated that she wished to see me.

“Yes. I have a paper due, after all,” I said with mock solemnity. She nodded towards me, a smile also playing on her lips, as I parked in front of house. She grabbed her bags from the backseat, along with her purse, and opened her door. I stopped her, realizing that there was one more question that I needed to know the answer too.

“Bella,” I said, gaining her attention. She made eye contact for a brief moment, and I felt the affects of the Draw begin – more subtle this time, due to the briefness of the contact – before she looked away, allowing me to keep my head clear.

“Am I allowed to discuss what we've spoken about to my family?” I asked. She looked undecided for a moment, then resolved.

“If you wish. Though I suggest that you also let them know that I know what you, and they, are as well,” she told me. I mentally winced as I imagined Rosalie's expression to knowing the secret was out, especially when she had been so adamant about Bella's death after the van accident, but I also know that I owed them the truth. However, I decided that I would hide my Vanquish before I said anything, not wanting it to be destroyed by Rosalie. And I wouldn't be telling them tonight. I wanted at least a day or two with just me knowing for awhile.

“Bye,” Bella said, getting out and closing the door behind her. I drove away, feeling her eyes on me as I did so, until I'd turned the corner.

A million thoughts ran rampage through my mind at I turned over what we had spoken about tonight. I felt an incredible sense of relief now that I didn't have to hide anything from her; not that I was really hiding anything from her to begin with, since she'd known about it from almost the start. I also felt some relief that she had trusted me enough to tell me her own secrets.

As I thought, the memory of what had almost happened tonight also flooded into my mind.

“Ah,” I groaned as the simmering hate that I had all but forgotten burst into an inferno of rage. Bella was safe, as was Jessica and Angela. I was alone; I could easily turn back around and heard back to Port Angeles, take care of those...

No, I couldn't do that. Bella deserved better than for me to become a murderer again. Yet, I couldn't just leave them there. I couldn't leave a monster – a human monster, but a monster nonetheless – out of the streets of Port Angeles, just waiting for another woman to unknowingly walk into their grasp as Bella did. Any woman could easily be someone else's Bella.

The thought spurred me on, and I turned the car north, accelerating now that I had a new purpose. Though I could do anything myself – not with the fact that Bella deserved better than to be with a murderer – didn't mean that someone else couldn't do so. And I had just the person in mind.

Alice was sitting on the porch, waiting for me. I scanned her mind, hoping to find the answer as to why she hadn't called and warned me about what had almost happened. I was surprised to discover that she was hiding something, singing 'According to You' in Japanese, switching to French when she finished it. I wondered what she was hiding from me.

“She's in the garage,” Alice said, turning and gliding away before I could ask her anything else. I was puzzled; I'd thought for sure that she would want to know when she could speak to Bella. After all, she'd had plenty of visions about her and Bella together, though all of them had been much like the first one with Bella – Bella was just as unclear in them as she was on the first one. I decided I would find out later, heading to the garage.

As Alice had told me, I found Rosalie there, working on Emmett's Jeep once again. I had to wonder if it had actually needed updating done to it, or if she was just bored and needed something to do. Despite how she could be – slightly shallow, though it was mostly the fact that she knew what she looked like – she was damn good with dealing with cars, the reason why all of our cars could go so fast without problems. Which was also why I was planning on hiding my Vanquish before telling her anything about what happened tonight.

What do you want, Edward? she asked, pushing herself from under the car.

“Did Alice mention anything that almost happened tonight?” I asked her, almost casually, to hide the seething rage I felt inside. No she thought, shaking her head. There was a hint of distaste in her inner voice – she knew, at the very least, that I had most likely been around Bella. Why?

“Bella was almost...she almost shared your fate tonight,” I said, noticing Rosalie stiffening at the mention of her last night as a human. She turned towards me, looking serious, yet wondering what it had to do with her. Yet, deeper, there was part of her that was hoping I would mention what I did to those...things. I was right in coming to her, I could tell.

“Well, I was unable to do anything to them,” I said. She glared at me. “However, I figured that, if any one of us would willing go and give then what they deserved, you'd be the first to jump at the chance. Particularly since Bella wasn't their first victim. While you can't exactly kill them ,you can show them what happens when they attempt to do something like what they tried to tonight.”

I didn't have to say anything else, other than where this had happened, and general description of what each of the men had looked like. I also informed her that at least three of the men might be sporting some bruises, and that one may or may not have a broken nose – I thought I had heard a crack when she kicked the one guy, after all. Rosalie looked at me, puzzled, which had me explaining that Bella had managed to hold herself against them pretty well before I had arrived.

Rosalie looked impressed to know that, and then asked if I had any clue of where they might go after that. I couldn't answer her on that, though I was able to explain that they probably just saw Bella, so chances were they they'd just see her as well. I was just about to remind her that she couldn't kill them when Alice, Emmett, and Jasper all entered the room, telling her that she wasn't going to go alone.

I wondered why Alice seemed excited, and why she was holding a digital camera in her hand. Seeing where I was looking, she thought to me I figured I would catch what Rosalie does to them on camera for you, so you know exactly what they're punishments are.

I nodded toward Alice, having the feeling that I would like to watch it, eventually. At the moment, though, I really didn't care about it. All I cared about was the fact that, since Jasper and Emmett were going, they would not only make sure that Rosalie didn't kill them – no matter how much they deserved it – but that they most likely had some impressive plan worked out that would make sure those guys suffered. I felt the four to their planning, wanting to get back to Bella. As I was running towards her house, I was thinking about what I should have done.

In truth, I knew that I should have gone to Carlisle. However, I knew what his solution to the problem would be – take them all to jail. And, honestly, I didn't think Jail would be enough. The fact was that they had planned to rape her, had been hoping for it. More than that, the one had almost touched my Bella...no jail alone wouldn't be enough.

I took a short break to eat before continuing to Bella's house. It was quiet there, only Charlie's snoring and the music playing from Bella's CD player playing. I quickly scaled the tree outside of Bella's room, as I had done the times before, and went into the room without a second thought.

“Coming to spy on me again?” The familiar female voice caused me to freeze as I turned to the bed, meeting Bella's amused gaze with my own shocked on. I hadn't noticed the fact that the music was actually louder than it should be, nor had I seen the fact that she was sitting up in her bed, looking at the very window I'd just come through.

Damn.

Chapter Text

Bella's Point of View

---

 

I waited until his car had disappeared before continuing towards the door. I reached for the key mechanically, unlocking the door and stepping inside, my bags crinkling as I moved them.

“Bella?” Charlie called from the living room. I heard him shifting, and saw the top of his head as he leaned over to see who it was.

“Yeah, Dad, it's me,” I said, walking in to see him, still holding my bags. He was watching a ball game, which was rather unsurprising to me, for he was usually watching some sort of sport. However, I was surprised when he shut off the television, and turned to me.

“You're home early,” he commented.

I was? “Am I?” I said, surprised as I looked at a clock. My eyes widened as I realize it was only seven forty. Apparently, even with eating dinner, and a prolonged stop, I made it home earlier than I actually thought I would. No wonder he was questioning me about it; I'd question it as well, if I was him.

“It's not even eight yet,” he said, though he'd seen me look at a clock. “Did you girls have fun?”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “Angela and I found our dresses.”

“And a new jacket,” he said, motioning towards the garment that I was still wearing. My eyes almost widened – I'd forgotten that I was wearing it. I hope Edward didn't mind me keeping it, at least, until I could give it back to him. I doubted Charlie would really remember it once it was out of his sight. However, I could see that he was curious about it, so I shrugged. “I forgot to grab one before I left, since it was kind of warm, and it got cold. So, when I saw that this was on sale for a good price...” I trailed off, not needing to explain any more. He nodded, then turned the television back on, a sign that the conversation was over. It didn't disappoint me all that much, and I picked up my bags to head upstairs when the phone rang.

I walked to the kitchen, telling Charlie “I'll get it,” as I passed him, motioning for him to sit back down. Setting the bags onto the table as the phone rang again, I pulled it from the hook.

“Hello, Swan residence,” I said as I held it up to my ear.

“Bella?” I heard. The voice on the other end sounded completely surprised. I recognized it immediately, having heard it quite a bit today.

“Hello, Jessica To what do I own the honor of this call?” I asked sarcastically, while wondering why she'd called me, considering that the only other time she had done so was because of the dance. We weren't exactly friends, either, so calling just wasn't something I expected from her.

“You made it home already?” she asked. The way she sounded – both surprised and disappointed – sent bells ringing though my head. I got the feeling that she had been thinking, or hoping, that I wasn't there, which, again, made me wonder why she called.

“Yes, why?” I asked her, my mind still trying to figure out why she'd called.

“No reason, no reason,” she said quickly. “I just...uh...I found a jacket in the backseat of Angela's car that I thought was yours.” I knew immediately that it was a lie, cutting her off before she could say anything else.

“It's not mine. I didn't bring a jacket with me,” I told her.

“Oh,” she said, sounding very uncomfortable at the moment. “Well, I guess I'll have to ask Angela if it's actually hers or something. Bye.”

She hung up quickly, before I could return the sentiment. Frowning as I placed the phone back in it's cradle, I grabbed my bags and walked to the stairs, heading up as I still wondered why she'd called. I knew the jacket was nothing more than an excuse – she'd known I hadn't brought one with me, had even commented about it before we'd left Forks. So I didn't know what she was thinking, asking me if I'd left a jacket in Angela's car. And the way she had been so surprised and disappointed to hear me answer the phone, why, you'd think that she had been thinking that someone else would...

Realization ran though me as I realized why she'd been calling. That little bitch I thought, my hands tightening into fists. It was obvious now, to see what it was that she was trying to do. She'd been trying to cause trouble between me and Charlie, calling in hopes that my father would answer and that she could tell him about the fact that I was with Edward. Not that it would have really mattered – between the dressing down I'd given Charlie and the fact that I'd given a reasonable way of having run into him – there was no reason why I wouldn't hang out with him.

Still, I did have to wonder what she would say to my father. I went though several scenarios in my mind, then shook my head. It wasn't like it had happened, so it didn't matter. Then, as I opened my door, I immediately stiffened, seeing my window opened, and realizing that we weren't the only ones in the house – or that, earlier, it wasn't just Charlie in the house. I tasted the emotions I could feel, thinking that, perhaps, Edward had snuck in while I was downstairs, though I didn't think he would have come over so fast after leaving me, since he usually came when I was 'asleep'. However, I could only taste those that my father were giving off. I frowned – did they already leave. It was then that I realized who it possibly was, and I looked towards my bed, my eyes immediately connecting with Ashanti's.

“So, have you changed your mind about not using that one vampire?” she asked. My fists tightened, the bags in my hand crinkling. I stepped fully into the room, closing the door and placing the bags down before I said anything.

“What are you doing back here?” I asked her, anger coursing through me. I would have thought that, after the last time we talked, she would have left. Plus, the fact that we were getting closer to my year mark as being what I was had me believing that it would soon be time for me to see the last of her.

“Oh, I haven't left yet. Not only is there still a few more months before your first year mark, I find this area vastly interesting. Turns out, vampires are not the only thing of interest around here, though they are certainly the most tempting,” Ashanti said, sitting down on my bed. I growled at her. She wasn't going to touch Edward...or his family, but Edward was my main concern. He wasn't hers to touch.

As I thought that, I waited for my real anger at her – not the anger of her coming in unannounced or the anger of her thinking of Edward as tempting – to come to me. I waited for the anger I usually felt – the one that came from the fact that this woman had turned me, had stolen my real life from me – to fill me, but it didn't. The only anger I felt was from her unannounced visit and her words about Edward. In fact, because she had turned me, I was allowed to know Edward, which actually seemed to replace some of my anger with thankfulness. It didn't mean that I liked her, of course, but I wasn't as mad as I used to be.

“What do you mean, 'vampires are not the only think of interest around here'?” I asked her, walking over to my rocking chair, since she was at my bed. She studied me, suspicion on her face, probably wondering why I wasn't acting hostile to her. I didn't know what answer to that question she came up with, for she didn't share it.

“I've been feeding around Seattle, but I needed to move to somewhere else, and decided to try La Push, but, when I went to find someone to feed on, I realized that almost every one there, about your age and older, tasted...differently. If that wasn't enough to strike my curiosity, I notice several of the males eyeing me with curiosity, distrust, anger, and a few other negative emotions,” she said. “And, for those who weren't acting like that, they still had a strange taste to them, all of their emotions mixed with anger. But there was something more to it...I'm not sure how to explain.

“But I do know this: the ones who kept a closer eye on me tasted even more different than the others. Not even those who eyed me with distrust tasted like these guys did,” she said, her eyes wondering to the bags with interest evident in them.

“And what does that mean?” I asked her. “Why do they taste differently than others? And how was the taste different?”

“I don't know exactly, but I plan on finding out,” she told me. “As for how the taste was different, I don't really know how to describe it I can only say that good emotions were dim, their hatred and anger the strongest, but mixed with something else, having an edge to them that I'd never run into before. If I'm honest, it actually made me feel sick when I was around them.” She looked at me. “That's all I wanted to tell you. That, and the fact that I wanted to say that I think you should feed some more as well.”

I bristled at the suggestion.

“Isabella, come on. Yes, your still strong, but that's no reason for you to ignore the fact that you're not as strong as you could be if you fed,” she said. I opened my mouth to tell her what I had told her before about the suggestion, but she continued. “And, I don't know if you remember, but your vampire is the best person for you to feed from.”

I looked at her, confused, and she rolled her eyes. “I knew you hadn't remembered,” she muttered under her breath before speaking up. “Vampires are a succibi's dream, Isabella. They are an unlimited source of energy, never running out. You can feed and feed and feed until your full, and it wouldn't harm them. For someone like you, who would rather starve themselves instead of feeding properly – it's a dream. Hell, even a succubus like me would jump at the chance to have their own vampire.” She looked at me with envious eyes. “Of course, you'll probably waste it, though I do hope you won't. After all, it would make your romance with him rather boring if it never got beyond hand holding.

“I can also guarantee that both of you will want to kiss each other at some point, if you don't already. And I don't mean that you want to kiss him for energy either, but to simply kiss him.”

I frowned at her, but refused to look her in the eye at hearing that, my mind having made a new revelation that I hadn't thought about before. She was right – there was a part of me that did want to kiss him, not for the advantages that doing so would bring me, but because I wanted to. It was a human response, in a way. I wanted to actually feel his lips against mine, to know if they were soft like they looked...

She got my attention before I could fall to far into my thoughts. “If I find out more about those La Push people, I'll inform you,” she said. She looked as though she was going to say something else, then shook her head, disappearing though my window. I walked over to my bed, my mind immediately going back to what I had been thinking before she had said those last words. My thoughts swirled around, not making much sense. I began to think about what she said, remembering the revelation I'd made when she said it.

I wanted to actually kiss him. I hadn't realized that before, though I'd looked at his lips quite a bit, particularly this very night. I was lucky that he hadn't noticed it, just as lucky as I was that he couldn't read my thoughts. Of course, I hadn't really thought it strange that I was looking at them – I'd been willing to look at his face, to gauge his reactions – but now I realized that the frequent glances to his lips were for a reason. More than that, when he'd left, I had actually been hoping he'd kiss me before letting me leave.

I didn't know what to think about this fact all that much.

---

 

Charlie came upstairs an hour hours later, clomping sleepily to his bed, and I pulled my shoes back on, planning on going out tonight, thinking that I might be able to see Alice. I had just finished tying them when the almost noiseless sound of my window opening caught my attention, and I looked over to see Edward climbing through. I bit my lip to keep from chuckling. I had completely forgotten about the fact that he had a habit of doing this the last few nights he was in town. I did wonder why he'd come without bothering to check if I was asleep beforehand.

I also wondered why he would come tonight. After all, I doubted he was coming to watch me sleep again, considering what I had told him tonight. Then I realized that, while I had mentioned that I had a few traits together with him, I hadn't actually mentioned all of them. I had only mentioned the attractiveness, strength, and speed. The factor of me sleeping, or my lack thereof, had actually never entered the conversation.

Fortunately, I wasn't angry with him – in fact, this actually gave me another chance to shock him. I made sure that I placed my foot down quietly before looking at him.

“Coming to spy on me again?” I asked. I did my best to keep from laughing out loud when turned towards me, shocked. “I mean,” I continued, “I know that I didn't mention it straight up, but when I said that we shared quite a few traits, not having to sleep at night was on that list.”

Blueberries began to coat my tongue.

“Then again, if I was honest to begin with, you wouldn't have ever gotten the belief that I slept at night. And I really should have mentioned it to you in the car when I listed off they ways we were alike,” I added, to show that he wasn't entirely at fault. While he should know better than to sneak into someone else's room, particularly a female's room, it wasn't like I had really discouraged him, or given him a reason not to. In fact, truthfully, I usually made sure that he could leave, grabbing and hanging onto his arm in order to keep him there as long as possible.

“Either way,” I said, standing and walking over to him, “it kind of boils down to the same thing, which is, I, like you, don't sleep at night.”

Indecision danced on my tongue. “You don't have to leave,” I said. That seemed to be the magic words, for he straightened from the crouch he was by the window, standing to his full height before walking over and settling down in my rocking chair. “But I'm not sure I can,” he finished.

“Well, since I don't want you to go, I'm not going to argue against you staying,” I said, being honest. “Of course, I'm not sure about what we should talk about.”

I wasn't sure he'd heard me, for he suddenly sniffed at the air, noticing that there was something different about it. He looked to me, a questioning expression on his face.

“Who else was in here?” he asked me, and I realized that he must've scented Ashanti's scent in the air..

“My maker. Why?” I asked. “Do you scent her?”

He nodded his head. “I didn't notice it when I first came into the room, but I do now” he said. “It's interesting. I can tell that she's not like you, in a way. I mean, I can scent the humanity in her scent, but the...I don't know... The main scent that shows what she, and you, are, it's stronger in her scent. If I really concentrate on you, I can tell that you have it in your scent as well, but it's so faint that it's easy to miss, though, now that I think about it, it was a bit stronger during the van accident...”

I knew that I went pale as I predicted his next question. I mean, I knew that I'd already admitted to it, but that didn't mean that I wanted to talk to him about it.

“Why is that?” he asked. “I mean, why is that little identifying feature of your scent so much weaker than that of your maker's? And why was it stronger that day?”

I cringed, contemplating evading that question, just as I had evaded him asking why it was harder for me to resist since meeting him – though, he hadn't actually manged to ask about it, as I'd cut him off. Still, I knew that it wouldn't take much for him to put two and two together himself, so avoiding the question just wasn't worth it.

“My scent is weaker than my maker's because I don't feed on my intended prey. Remember, when I told you earlier, how I don't have to feed so much, well, not feeding actually helps give me a more human scent. I'll always carry the little part of my scent that says what I truly am, but, so long as I don't feed, whether regularly or irregularly, my scent will resemble a human one,” I said. I hoped that he would understand what I was saying without asking me about why my scent was stronger. Luckily, he did seem to get it.

“You said that you were responsible for the missing person in Port Angeles,” Edward said slowly. “Did you...?”

“Yes,” I said. “The day you came back, after we talked, I went out that night. I was mostly in control, but going a little stir crazy being cooped up in my room. And I was extremely hungry after having talked to you. I didn't actually plan on feeding on the guy, but, well, when I realized that going to that bar was a bad idea, and went to leave, he followed me...caught me off guard. He was kissing me before I knew it, and I just...I didn't let go until he was dead.” I was looking down when I said this, waiting for the disgust I was sure to come, but I only tasted sympathy from him, and, looking up, I saw he didn't judge me for my actions.

“Apparently, as I found out at that time, not feeding on a regular basis will leave my body glowing – and I mean glowing – healthily for hours. It kind of freaky to experience,” I said, the last bit more of a mutter than anything, then shook my head, continuing with what I was saying. “I really couldn't go to school like that, so I waited until the glow was gone before I did. I may have looked a lot more healthier and alluring when I did, but I wasn't glowing anymore, so it didn't matter. I know that, if I fed on a more regular basis, that wouldn't happen, but since I refuse to do that, the longer I go without feeding, the bigger the chance of that happening is.”

“You still look pretty healthy right now, especially when I compare how you look now to how you first looked when you got here,” he said.

“The first time around, it took about four months before I started looking unhealthy. In fact, it was also around that time that the first regular food hunger strike hit me,” I said. “Even if I start getting hungry for more energy, the energy from a previous...victim takes months to dissipate, especially if I drain the person,” I said. Biting my lip, I looked at him nervously, waiting for him to say something, anything. Instead, he seemed slightly frozen, as if he was taking in everything I'd just said.

“So, your non-feeding as a succubus is the reason for your scent changes,” he clarified. I nodded. “And you look healthier – glowingly healthier, in fact – when you do feed properly.” Another nod from me. “Well, that's good to know, though I don't like it. I happen to like you looking healthy, over the dull health look when you first arrived.”

I smiled at him.

“Well, unfortunately, unless I find a way to feed without worrying that I'd kill the person, I'm out of luck,” I said. I wasn't going to tell him that I could feed on him. I had a feeling he'd offer if I did, and I didn't want that.

“You know, you scent is much like our eyes,” he said. I looked at him, confused until I remembered what it was that Ashanti had found interesting about the Cullens. Honestly, at this point, I found it strange to know that there were actually vampires that had red eyes.

“Do you mean the fact that your eyes are gold instead of red, or the fact that they slowly become black at times?” I asked. He looked surprised when I mention the eyes being red, then seemed to realized that my maker had probably mentioned it to me before. It wasn't actually untrue, though Alice had also mentioned it herself.

“Yes, that's exactly what I meant,” he said. I didn't need to ask why his eyes changed colors, having already figured it out before.

“Why have I never seen your eyes red?” I asked, heading back to my bed, sitting down and getting comfortable there.

“You've never seen my eyes red because my family and I...we don't feed on humans at all,” he said. “We're rather lucky; feeding on animals actually makes it easier for us to stay in such a large group without feeling threatened. We can also seem more human in some instances. We refer to ourselves as a family rather than a cover, and are able to stay in an area for a longer time that we would if we ate from humans.”

I was slightly surprised to know what he fed on. I hadn't been expecting that he feeding habits would have made that much of a difference, though I figured that I should have realized the last part would have been true. I had already figured out that they didn't feed on humans, since I think people would have noticed if a lot of people would suddenly go missing, or be found bloodless. And I was slightly jealous about the fact that he had another option for a diet. Then, of course, had me remembering what it was that he had said in the car earlier.

“So, your eyes must've gone red when you went off of Dr. Cullen's diet,” I said, then tilted my head. “Why did you leave?” I asked, curious.

“I...I had a typical bout of adolescent rebellion, about ten years after my creation. I wasn't completely sold on his life of abstinence, and I also resented him for curbing my appetite,” he said, a bit reluctant and wary. It seemed that he was afraid that I would judge him as I was that he would judge me.

“That sounds reasonable, given your age,” I said, which wasn't what he had expected. He was surprised, and barked out a laugh, one that sounded more relieved than anything. “Plus, since you can read minds, you probably were able to skip over those who were truly innocent and only go after those who were purely evil,” I added, somehow just knowing that it was true the moment I said it. It wasn't just because of the emotions from him that coated my tongue, but the fact that it just fit in with his character. The man who didn't want to be a monster...

I could see it in my mind: the alley, a young frightened girl, the dark man behind her. And Edward, terrible but glorious like a young god, unstoppable as he hunted. I had to wonder, would she – the girl – have been thankful straight away? Or would the thanks come later, after the frightfulness ended? There was no doubt in my mind, though, that the girl would be thankful in some form or another. Considering what the alternative would have been, only a fool wouldn't have been thankful of Edward.

“It only took me a few years to recommit to his vision. I had thought that knowing the mind of the one whom I hunted would have exempted me from the... depression that accompanies a conscious. I was wrong, though, for, as time went on, I began to see the monster I was in my eyes. I couldn't escape the debt of so much human life taken, no matter how justified it was. I went back to Carlisle, and Esme, for she'd joined us about four years after I'd been turned. They welcomed me back like the prodigal. It was more than I deserved,” he said. I couldn't agree with him on that. Had he not been hunting murderers and rapist – the filth of the human world, as it were – then maybe I would, but, as he hadn't.... Well, I felt that he shouldn't wallow in his guilt about it as he was.

“So, tell me about the rest of your family members,” I said, hoping that he would be willing to tell me more than what Alice had. While I got what Alice knew of her history, and how she had found Jasper and then the Cullens, that was all she really said about it. She never told me any of the stories of how they came to be.

Unfortunately, it seemed that I would have to wait even longer, for we both heard my father's alarm go off and jumped slightly – we had completely forgotten about the world around us, an amazing feat for creatures such as us, especially him when one considered his extra talent. We listened, silently, as Charlie went into the bathroom, and I was relieved that I was smart enough to turn off my light before I started getting dressed to leave, for he didn't find anything strange about my room, and, therefore, left me alone. We waited until the shower started before moving and speaking again, though quietly.

“I guess that's my signal to leave,” Edward said, standing up. I frowned, but didn't say anything. While still early, I wouldn't stay like that for long, and we'd already proven that we couldn't keep track of the time. I knew that if he stayed, that would definitely happen once again.

“See you at school,” I said softly. He gave me a last smile, then jumped out of my window. I waked over to see that he was looking upwards toward my window, and I waved at him. He returned it before turning and, within half a second, he was gone, his body blurring as he took off into the forest. I sighed, walking over to my closet to chose something to wear. I eventually settled on a dark purple blouse with dark blue jeans. I pulled on a pair of boots, and grabbed Edward's jacket, throwing it on before shouldering my bag. A quick glance outside showed a cloudy sky.

I hurried downstairs, pausing for a second when I tasted Edward's emotions, and then hurried to the door, wondering why I was tasting them now while I was at home and it was daytime. It was quite foggy outside, but I had no trouble seeing Edward's car parked behind my own, him inside it. Since I didn't need anything else, I quickly locked the door, hurrying to the passengers side of the car and opening the door, a puzzled look on my face.

“Do you want to ride to school with me today?” he asked. I smiled, hopping into the car and shutting the door once I was in.

“You know, of you were planning to drive me to school, you could have asked before you left,” I said, keeping my eyes away from the speedometer. I could tell that we were going fast, faster than I may have liked, but, so long as I didn't look at the speedometer, I was fine.

“So, I have another question,” I said, suddenly curious as I hadn't thought about it before. “What happens when someone non-vampire, or human, I guess I should say, finds out about vampires?”

I was honestly curious about that, though Ashanti hadn't said anything about vampire rules. She had only let me know about the succubi rule, which pretty much don't draw attention to ourselves in a bad way, which basically translated to: Don't kill to many people in the same area. Although, it's not advisable to let others know what you are either, but it's actually not a rule.

“Well, we're technically supposed to kill them, though Carlisle would never do that,” Edward said, and I remembered the argument I overheard after that one van accident. He looked over to me. “See, we only really have one rule, which is keep the secret, but that can break down to who knows how many facets. One of those is, of course, the fact that humans can't know what we are. To know would either mean that we have to turn them or kill them, with killing them being there preferred term for many, or the usual outcome that happens either way. Of course, that's only humans, as another in the factors say that other supernatural creatures can know about vampires.”

“Particularly when it's probably pretty easy to figure it out when your a different type of supernatural creature,” I said. “Still, that has to suck, having to hide who you are from everyone, with no exceptions.”

“What about succubi?” he asked. “Are there any rules you have to follow?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Don't draw attention to yourself in a bad way, which basically means don't kill to many people in the same area in the same amount of time.”

“What about if someone find out what you are?” he asked.

“Considering that quite a few of the older, more experienced succubi actually allow some humans to know what they are, and entered deals with them, it's not actually all that forbidden,” I said. “Only those who might try to kill us or lead a mob need not know.”

“Deals?” he said.

“Basically, in exchange for succubi feeding from them regularly, said succubi would take care of them, like pay and house them, maybe even be a patron to them if needed,” I explained. “And, of course, for the feedings, it's usually done through sex. Prolong kissing is usually the leading cause of a human's death when it comes to feeding, as it's harder to stop since the energy is sucked out faster that way. As for how long a deal exists, some usually leave it up to the discretion of one side or the other. More often than not, though, the donor usually just walks away when they're done, with a promise that they won't divulge information about said succubus. But, that's the more experienced ones, who have not only lived for a long time, but also don't care much for finding a new toy every night. They're less likely to kill someone than I am, having more practice as it than I do.

“Of course, I'm kind of confused about it on the long term, and, since it still comes down to me having to feed on humans, I've shot down the idea of doing it,” I added. “Yet, I will admit, it is nice to have that as an option for the future, just in case I lose control but am able to find the strength to pull back and keep from killing the human.”

He nodded, though I could taste his surprise at the information. Once I finished speaking, we were pulling into the parking lot, and that was when I realized something that I should have realized moments before.

“Hey, where are your siblings?” I asked. I had forgotten that Edward usually drove them to school, and yet, none of them were actually in the car right now. However, somehow, my answer was immediately answered when I saw that there was a car I'd never seen before in the lot, one that was a whole lot newer than any of the others. The glossy red convertible immediately grabbed my attention, just as it did to everyone else who was arriving or was already there.

“They drove Rosalie's car today,” he said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. I rolled my eyes.

“It's kind of flashy,” I said. “Does your sister like attention or something?”

“She does,” he said. I nodded, looking at the car again. While it was a nice one, I knew that I would never want one like it. I hated attention, and usually preferred to be in the background, something that was mostly impossible with my succubi traits and being the new girl here in Forks. Both tended to put me in the spotlight. And, as I opened the door, I discovered a third thing that would be putting me in the spotlight as well.

Everyone froze when they saw me get out of Edward's car, shock dominating them. Even though he had sat at my table for lunch, I had gone on a date with him, and we were going to the dance together, us being together like this was still surprising to most of the people at the school. I sighed, hating that I would be dominating the spotlight once more, having done my best to shake it off. However, I couldn't bring myself to regret having it on me this time, since Edward was right by my side. Together, we walked towards the school.

“Everyone's staring,” I muttered towards him, my eyes looking around. Their emotions were dancing on my tongue. Once the shock began to disappear, varying tones of jealousy took it's place, some stronger than others. My eyes easily found the two who were the most jealous of me; Lauren and Jessica stood, side by side, ugly looks on their faces.

“No, not everyone,” Edward murmured in my ear. “That guy...no, he just looked.”

I rolled my eyes playfully. “You're not going to find anyone whose not looking at us,” I said. He smiled at me, just as I tasted someone's determination. I was a bit surprised when Jessica walked up to me. I noticed that Lauren was looking at her angrily, her emotions making me think that she thought Jessica had betrayed her in some way. Lauren turned as stalked away as Jessica came closer to me, stopping once she was in front of us. I saw and tasted the lust from her when she looked at Edward, and the jealousy towards me as her eyes flitted away from him.

“Hey, Bella,” she said, trying to sound friendly as she pasted a fake smile on her face. I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what her motive for coming to me was.

“Hi,” I said, sounding suspicious, waiting for her to say something. What she did talk about, though, wasn't what I was suspecting from her. In fact, she didn't really talk about anything, other than asking if I wanted to sit next to her in our shared Trig and Spanish classes. I told her that I'd think about it, already pretty much deciding not to if I could get away with it. Once she had my answer, she walked away.

“So, what do you plan on telling her?” Edward asked once she was gone.

“What makes you think I plan on telling her anything?” I asked. “I didn't say if I would sit by her, after all.”

“She's planning on making sure you don't have a choice but to sit next to her. She wants to ambush you with some questions,” he told me.

“What questions does she plan to ask?” I said, my tone making it clear that I wouldn't accept him hiding what she was thinking from me.

“Oh, just the basics,” Edward said, sensing that I wouldn't appreciate him hiding, “Did we make plans to meet, are we secretly dating, how do you feel about me, and how I feel about you. She also wants to know what happened after they left, like if we really had dinner or not.” He looked slightly confused as he said the next bit. “Apparently, she's wondering how you got back before them considering that they left Port Angeles first.”

“She called my house last night, under the pretense that I'd left a jacket in the car. Truthfully, she was actually trying to get me into trouble with Charlie, as if it would have worked,” I said, the last part being said more quietly than the rest of the sentence. He grew stiff with anger at hearing that, and growled. I frowned at him. As much fun as it would be to watch Edward do whatever it was that he was planning – assuming he was planning anything – it wouldn't be good if he attacked or did something to her with so many people around to witness it, particularly after learning what their fate would be if he did. Getting so many of my classmates killed isn't something I want to do.

“So, what should I say?” I asked him, getting him back on track to what we were actually talking about. He looked at me, confused as to what I was talking about since he was plotting something. “Should I say that we've been secretly dating, or that we decided to officially date on our date last Saturday, or something else. And what should I say about how you feel about me and vice versa.” I waited patiently for his answer.

He thought for a moment. “I would say that we were thinking about making ourselves officially boyfriend and girlfriend on our date, but that you hadn't decided yet – by the way, you'll have to fill me in on the details of what we did that day – and that we only truly made it official last night. As for feelings, well, I know you can already tell how I feel about you without me saying it to you,” he said. I smiled, knowing that he was in love with me. “As for how you feel about me...” He leaned in close to my ear, his lips brushing against it and sending sparks through me. “Well, I'll be waiting to hear that for myself.”

He headed to his class then, leaving me feeling like I'd been melted into a puddle where we'd stopped. It took me a while to get myself back together, but when I did, I realized that he hadn't helped me out that much. He had left me with what I considered to be the hardest question to answer: how I felt about him. I couldn't blame him, though. It wasn't something he could answer himself. He could hope about how I felt, but only I could answer it. I thought about it. Other than deciding to tell him my secret, I hadn't given much thought about how I may or may not feel about him. The only thing I knew was that I cared for him a great deal, enough to not want any secrets between us.

I walked into my English class, my mind still on trying to figure out my feelings towards Edward. Before I could do so, though, Mike popped out of seemingly no where.

“Morning, Bella,” he said, sitting in the desk next to me. He ignored my look towards him, and I frowned when I tasted the usual desire from him. Thankfully, it wasn't as strong as it usually was. “How was Port Angeles?”

“Fine,” I said. “Why?”

“Oh, well... I was wondering if Jessica... Never mind,” he suddenly said, as I rolled my eyes. I had the feeling that he was looking for information on Jessica, to see if she talked about their date. More than that, though, I had the feeling that he was hoping for some reaction from me that would indicate that what I heard had made me jealous. He would be so disappointed to learn that it hadn't even interested me.

“Jessica didn't get a dress, yet, if that's what your wondering,” I said. “She plans on going today with Lauren.”

“Did she...say anything about Monday night?” he asked, still hoping for some signs of jealousy from me. It was just a sign of how little he knew me. Still, I told him what I remembered Jessica saying in the car, and was kind of delighted when he became downtrodden from my lack of any sign of jealousy. I was glad, though, when Mr. Mason called the class to order, cutting his inquiries off before he could finish them.

My classes before Trig went by rather quickly, and all to soon I was walking into that class. Jessica, apparently, decided not to give me any opportunity to ignore her; she waited right next to the door for me, and quickly followed me as I sat down, taking the seat next to me immediately, before someone else could have it. I frowned at the blatant move – someone else was actually about to sit down when she came by, and I watched as the student she stole the seat from walked away with a frown on their face.

“So, what happened last night? Tell me everything!” Jessica commanded, as if I was nothing more than a servant to her. I turned my head towards her so that she could see me roll my eyes before looking towards the front of the class. I didn't have to tell her anything, and I didn't have anything to say to her, either.

Unfortunately, she wasn't used to being denied access to something gossip worthy, and kept badgering me until the end of class. Mr. Varner actually pissed me off during that time as well, even more so that my first day of class, for he didn't call her out for speaking during class, despite the fact that there was no way he couldn't hear her. When the bell rang, I practically sprang up from my seat, hurrying to my next class in hopes of getting away from her. I even purposely made sure that all seats next to me were about to be taken. Unfortunately, once again, I underestimated how much she wanted her gossip, for, like in the previous class, she stole one of the seats from someone else and continued to badger me. Finally, before I was driven to actually murder her, I gave in, of only to shut her up. Of course, at the same time, I was cursing the ineffective teacher for not making her shut up as well, though she was being much quieter about talking in this class than the previous one.

“Jessica, what do you want to know?” I asked. I didn't bother adding anything else to that – I wasn't going to tell her everything. She'd find out pretty quickly that just because she wanted to know didn't mean she'd get anything exciting from me. In fact, what she'd learn wouldn't even allow her the chance to gossip about it – after all, everyone already knew that we'd gone on one date. Doing another one after accidentally running into each other – and it would be easy to tell, as there was no way we could have prearranged it beforehand, despite what Jessica might think. Of course, that didn't mean that the more idiotic people would realized that, but then, they really didn't matter.

“What happened last night?” she asked, sounding as if she expected there to be something scandalous to tell. I rolled my eyes; even if she wasn't there, the fact that I'd gotten home before she thought I had should have told her that there was nothing strange to report. Then again, she wasn't all too bright.

“He bought me dinner, and then drove me home,” I said, giving no other details other than that. She glared at me, her expression stiff with skepticism.

“How did you get home so fast?” she asked, her tone suggesting that she doubted we actually ate.

“He drives like a maniac,” I said. I felt no need to tell her just how terrifying his driving was – most teenagers drove faster than the speed limit, anyway, so it wasn't something unusual.

“Was it a date? Did you tell him to meet you there?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I was very surprise to see him there. We just ran into each other at he bookstore, and got to talking. It did become a date, though, after you and Angela left,” I said.

The disappointment at my almost completely honest response was evident on her face. It disappeared and was replaced by anger and jealousy at my words, though. I smiled at her, innocently, having known that the statement would inspire such a response.

“So, did you make plans for him to pick you up today?” she probed once more, after getting her emotions in order as to try and hide what she was really feeling towards me. It wouldn't do for her to be revealed as actually hating me, after all.

“No,” I said, disappointing her once again from the sheer honesty of my answer. “That was a a surprise as well.”

“Are you guys going out again?” she asked.

“No, not before the dance this Saturday,” I said, then I felt like slapping myself for saying that, as it caught her attention. Apparently, she hadn't realized who my date would be, though I hadn't really hidden it. I just also hadn't bragged about it a whole lot, either, and, truthfully, Angela was the only one who really knew who my date was before this.

“You're going to the dance with Edward?” she asked, sounding very surprised, and more than a little jealous. I nodded.

“Yeah, I asked him after our date Saturday,” I said, lying a little bit.

“What did you do Saturday?” she asked.

“Oh, we went to Seattle, visited a music store and a bookstore. We have pretty similar tastes,” I said. Again, I was lying, as I wasn't actually positive that our tastes were similar. Sure, we both like Clare de Lune, but that didn't automatically mean that all of our tastes were the same.

Disappointment ranged on her face once again. She seemed indecisive about what to ask next, before a new question occurred to her. Her face lit up a bit, and her emotions tasted as if she'd hit the jackpot with whatever question she had in mind. I had the feeling that, no matter what question she asked, she'd probably get some gossip from it, though I also had the feeling that she'd be hoping for me to say something specific.

“Has he kissed you yet?” she asked, sounding almost desperate. It was kind of pathetic to hear, if I was being honest.

“No,” I said, and her disappointment disappeared for a moment as glee ran through her; she liked that I hadn't kissed him, probably thinking that it might mean something. “We haven't gotten to that stage, yet,” I added, and her glee disappeared. I didn't mention that there was a good chance that we might never get there, not just because if how she'd most likely act if I did, but because what Ashanti had said was running constantly though my head. And, I also knew that, if Edward decided to kiss me without urging to do so from the Draw, I wouldn't protest or stop him from doing so.

“Do you think Saturday... ?” she began to ask, trailing off as she raised her eyebrows. I shrugged. I was going to be leaving such details like that up to him for now.

“So, what did you talk about?” she asked, pushing for more information, not bothering to be quiet. It wasn't like the teacher was competent, and would actually stop her from speaking, after all. Jessica wasn't even the only one talking at this point.

“Music, books, things like that,” I said, fibbing. I wasn't going to be telling her about what we'd really talked about, especially knowing that telling her that he was a vampire would be the stupidest thing ever. Not only would it result in her death, but it would result in the death of anyone she told – basically, the whole town, and any friends she may have outside of it.

“Please, Bella,” she begged, unhappy with what I'd given her. “Give me some details.”

I said the fist thing that came to my mind. “You should have seen the waitress flirting with him last night,” I said. She looked interested. “It was over the top. But, he didn't pay her any attention at all. His eyes never strayed from me.”

Those words were a recipe for instant jealousy, more than really needed from her. It gave me the feeling that Mike must've done the exact opposite on their little date.

“That's a very good sigh,” she said through her teeth. It was obvious that she was saying it with great reluctance, and she wasn't quite able to keep the bitterness at the fact that she even had to say it out of her voice. I pretended not to notice. “Was she pretty?”

“Very,” I said, “and she was probably about nineteen or twenty.”

“Even better. He must like you,” she told me. She was also reluctant to say that, gritting her teeth slightly

“Yes, he does,” I said. I wasn't trying to brag about it, just stating a simple fact, though I did enjoy how her jealousy and anger rose at the unwavering honesty in my voice. The fact that I had showed no sigh of it being anything true – that the words hadn't seemed to originate from my mouth, but his, saying that he had said it himself – pissed her off.

“What about you?” she asked, her voice dark with hate. I raised an eyebrow at her for the tone, and she seemed to realize that she'd broken out of her character of acting like my friend. She cleared her throat, composing herself, then repeated the question in a more friendly tone.

“What about me?” I asked back, having a feeling on what it was that she wanted. That, however, wasn't something I was going to willingly give information about my feelings. After all, they weren't any of her business.

“Do you share the same feelings?” she asked. Luckily for me, the teacher called on her to answer a question – like Mr. Varner, this teacher was pretty much ignoring the talking going on, though she did spring surprise questions at people about what she was telling them. I quite enjoyed the reaction that Jessica had when called on, though I doubted it would keep her from continuing to badger me as she'd been doing. While she was distracted, I quickly cast my mind to try and think of something to distract her with. It didn't take me long to come up with the perfect subject.

“In English, Mike asked him if her had said anything about Monday night,” I told her, once she was free from the teacher's attention, and had focused her attention back on me. It completely sidetracked her from her interrogation of me, and she spend the rest of the period – all fifteen minutes – grilling me on what he said, what I'd told him, and his expression over what I said. I was more than thankful when the bell rang, keeping her from realizing that she'd gotten distracted and returning the topic back to me. Standing up, I quickly shoved my books into my bag roughly, more than ready to get to lunch, more than ready to see Edward. Something in my expression and the haste in which I preformed my task seemed to alert Jessica about my lunch plans.

“Can I sit at your table today?” she asked me, acting once again like she was one of my friends. I shook my head at her, having a hard time holding back my laughter at her disgruntled expression. I turned from her, about to hurry out the door when the taste of Edward's emotions gave me a small pause. They were much closer than I was expecting, and, as I finally moved and left the classroom, I found out the answer to why: Edward was waiting for me outside the door, leaning against the wall next to it. The urge to laugh at Jessica's expression disappeared as I went to stand next to him, no longer bothering to even think about her anymore.

“Hello,” he said, his voice amused and irritated at the same time. Clearly, he'd been listening, which wasn't all that surprising, since he'd pretty much said that he would. I wondered what it was that had him irritated, since I'd said nothing incriminating. Then, I realized that it might not have been what I said, but what I didn't that had him like that, since he'd said that he would be waiting to hear my answer on how I felt about him just like she was. Since I didn't answer her, he was left wondering about it.

We walked in silence to the cafeteria, his arm around my shoulders; like in the parking lot, those in the hallway stared at us, while everyone went silent in the cafeteria when we entered, staring at us as well. I rolled my eyes as he steered us to the line, still not speaking. His eyes kept flashing towards my face, though. He stepped up to the counter, and went to fill the tray, starting to grab the first thing available.

“What are you doing?” I objected. Surely he couldn't have forgotten that I didn't need to eat, and, even if I did, what he was grabbing for didn't seem to be too appealing.

“I was going to fill the tray. I have to eat as well, you know,” he said, amused. I narrowed my eyes at him, not really feeling up to having to deal with him grabbing a lot of food that would just end up being wasted for the most part.

“Let me fill it,” I said, pushing his hand away from the food, knowing that he wasn't going to let us not get something. I grabbed a slice of the pizza they were serving, then an apple and a water bottle before pushing him to the area where it would be paid for before leading us to my table. I nodded to Angela when I saw that she had decided to sit with Ben today, at his normal table – he'd sat with us the previous day. I would admit, I was kind of glad that they'd decided to sit away from us; it gave Edward and I more freedom to speak.

Sitting down, I took the tray from him, glancing towards his siblings as I did so. I could tell, from the taste of their emotions that – save for Alice's – they were feeling pretty much the same way they had been the last time he'd sat with me. I wondered about that, having expected them to be feeling something else.

“So,” I said when I finally turned away from them, grabbing the piece of pizza, “what's got you irritated?”

He scowled at me. “You didn't answer Jessica's last question,” he said, a pout in his voice. I snorted.

“Seriously? Did you really expect me to tell the gossip queen something personal like that?” I asked. He looked properly abashed at that, realizing what it was that I was saying.

“Sorry,” he said. I nodded, finishing the pizza before grabbing the apple, playing with it in my hands.

“It's okay,” I told him. We were silent for a few moments.

“I have a question for you,” he said after a while.

“Shoot,” I said.

“Would you like to spend Saturday with me? I mean, before the dance, during the day,” he said. I noticed that his siblings were shocked at hearing that, which confused me a bit.

“Why?” I asked.

“I would like to show you something,” he said. The shock from his siblings changed slightly, becoming mixed with anger and worry.

“Sure, okay,” I told him. “My turn now. What were you hunting at that Goat Rocks place last weekend?”

He was shocked at hearing the question, but that wasn't what really caught my attention. The shock I was tasting was stronger than it should be coming from one person. It didn't take me much to realize that it wasn't just Edward's shock I was tasting, but his siblings as well, save for Alice. I couldn't help but wonder what it was that they were shocked about, especially when they knew that I...

As realization entered me, I turned to glare at Edward, who was about to answer my question when he noticed my facial expression. My eyes flicked over to his siblings, whom I had a clear view of, and I believed that he realized that I knew something he was trying to hide.

“Bella?” he said tentatively.

“You didn't tell them?” I said, my words clipped with anger. He winced, looking behind him at his family, who, other than Alice, were now angrily glaring at him just as I was. Putting the apple in my bag, I stood up, schooling my features into a look of indifference so the others around us didn't wonder about it, knowing that it would be noticed if I got up from the table angrily. Edward following, wanting a chance to explain himself. I wasn't going to argue about it, though. Since what I was going to say wasn't exactly something that I wanted to be known in a crowded cafeteria, I was glad that he was with me.

Once we were out of sight of the cafeteria, I quickly headed to the forest, knowing that we'd most likely be left alone. Once we were somewhere somewhat private, I rounded on him.

“Why didn't you tell them?” I asked. “I even gave you permission to do so, so that they'd know that I was trustworthy, but you still didn't do it. Why?”

He winced, but didn't answer. I could tell that he didn't have a good reason for it.

“Did you even bother to think of what it would mean to them, since they don't know?” I asked, still incensed. “You even told me that humans are not supposed to know about you –“

He interrupted me here. “You're not human,” he pointed out.

“They don't know that!” I snapped. “I wouldn't be angry if it did. That's why I told you to tell them. As far as they know, I'm human, and, that I now know what you are. Do you honestly think that they're going to accept that? I already know that some of them wanted me dead after the van accident. I wouldn't be surprised of they're making plans to kill me now that I know for sure. I mean, the only one I can be sure isn't doing that is Alice. Well, her and –“

He interrupted again. “What do you mean, you're sure that Alice isn't planning your demise?” he asked, summing up the words I'd just said into one easy to understand phrase. My anger deflated, though, as I realized that I hadn't mentioned the fact that Alice had known about me, especially before he did, and, for some reason, I shifted guiltily. I wasn't sure of how he would react to Alice knowing about me before he did, then realized that I had nothing to be ashamed of for being friends with her. Of course, that wasn't the only thing he'd caught in my rant.

“And how do you even know that Rosalie and Jasper wanted you dead after the van accident?” he asked as well. I took a breath, turning away from him.

“I know about the van accident because I spied on you. I was curious to know what you'd say, because I knew that some of your siblings, especially Rosalie, hadn't been happy about you saving me like you did,” I said. “And, as for Alice, she's known about me ever since the night of the van accident.” Disbelief coated my tongue as I plowed on. “She saw me out the window by chance, and chased after me when I ran away. Since then, we've met a few times. She told me about her visions, and a bit on how they worked, as well as the way she saw me in them.

“And don't you dare me angry with her,” I added as his disbelief changed to such an emotion. “We both decided to keep it a secret, especially since I wasn't really ready for anyone to know, and her finding out was a complete accident, not because I'd actually wanted her to know. And she only ever told me about her relationship with Jasper, and her own ability, though she did hint that other vampires could have abilities as well. You really never came up in any of our conversations, except for the first one, but that's only because she wanted to warn me not to take it personally when you started acting weird after the van accident.”

Once I said that, his anger cleared up quite a bit. The reminder of the way he'd treated me had him feeling a bit ashamed over his actions. However, he was still a bit miffed that Alice had known before he did.

“I”ll be having a talk with her after school,” I heard him mutter under his breath. In the distance, the school bell buzzed.

“We'd better get going,” I said, sighing as I shook my head, heading back there. I paused before I took more than a few steps. “Oh, and we will be finishing this conversation later.”

I didn't wait to see if he agreed.

Chapter Text

 

 

Bella's Point of View

 

---

 

We were a bit late in getting to our class, but, luckily, Mr. Banner wasn't there yet. Everyone watched as we walked in together to our lab table. There was no hint that we'd had an argument with each other. When we sat down, I noticed that he didn't angle the chair to sit away from me as much as the desk would allow, as he usually did. Instead, he sat quite close to me, as close as the school rules would allow him to do.

There were at least a few more minutes before Mr. Banner arrived, and the reason for his lateness became pretty clear as he entered dragging a tall, metal frame on wheels that held an outdated TV and VCR. Apparently, it was a movie day; the class atmosphere lifted immediately. Mr. Banner shoved the tape into the VCR, and walked to the wall to turn off the light.

I didn't pay attention to the film – the minute the light was off, I was – for some odd reason – suddenly hyper actively aware of Edward. A rush of unexpected electricity that seemed to originate somewhere in him seemed to flow through me, making me even more aware of him, something I'd thought to be impossible. I didn't know what was going on, especially since this had never happened before. I felt a crazy, inexplicable urge to reach over and touch him, and, after seeing that he was sitting with his hands in fists under his arms, as if stopping himself form doing the same thing that I was tempted to do, I realized that he was feeling that way as well.

Trying to figure out why I hadn't felt it before, I remembered how I usually acted the nights that I pretended to be asleep. Taking a chance, I started out small, placing my hand down on the table, palm up. Where it was place was right near him, close enough that it was obvious what I was going for. He looked at my hand, and, very slowly, moved his hands from their position to place one in my own.

The electricity seemed to spark for a second, and then slow and disappear once we made skin contact. Once that was done, we pretended to pay attention to the film, though I became more interested in watching Mr. Banner begin to go around, catching several of the other students doing things that they weren't supposed to be doing. Finally, as it came closer to the time the class was over, Mr. Banner turned the lights back on, and we released each other's hand rather reluctantly.

“Well,” Edward said. “That was interesting.”

I shrugged, though I had to admit that he was right.

“Shall we?” I ashed as we stood up. He nodded, following me out the door and walking me over to my next class in silence, pausing when we got to the door. I turned to say goodbye, but, as I got a glimpse of his face – his expression torn, almost pained, and so fiercely beautiful that I ached to touch him one again – my goodbye got stuck in my throat.

I raised my hand, to do what, I didn't know. I was surprised to see him copying my actions as well, though he let his hand fall when he saw mine. I tentatively allowed my fingertips to touch his face, surprised at the fact that, though his skin was icy, it felt as though I'd touched something burning hot, but without any of the pain. Amazed, my eyes followed my hand as I stroked downwards, letting my hand fall once I'd reached his chin. I turned to walk into the gym, my heart pounding in my chest. I still hadn't taken my eyes off of the hand I'd just used.

Gym seemed to pass by rather quickly, though I'd still had to deal with Mike, you had been quick in claiming me as his teammate. Due to my mind being on Edward, I played just as badly as I'd done when I was human, though I couldn't regret it all that much, as I'd been able to hit Mike's shoulder with my racket when I was trying to hit the birdy. Thankfully, I'd still hit the birdy as well, something that wouldn't been possible had I'd been human – in fact, I probably would have hurt myself as well when I did it. Mike, unfortunately, wasn't made to sit out, and, while we still won all of our games, I had to deal with him attempting to gain and keep my attention.

“So,” Mike said as we walked off the court to put our rackets away, which had to be done before we could head to the locker rooms. I quietly groaned, wondering if there was a way I could quicken and hurry to the locker room. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be that lucky, though.

“What?” I asked, a bit rudely in all honesty. However, the fact that I held no liking for Mike, mostly because, though he had decided to go for Jessica – probably only on my words, but he had shown some interest in her, especially when he wanted to know what she said about their date earlier that day – he was still hoping for some scrap of affection from me.

“You and Cullen going strong right now, huh?” he said, his tone resentful.

“Yeah,” I said. “What about it? Not that it's any of your business.” The last part was muttered under my breath, at a level where a human would never be able to hear it.

“I don't like it,” he said, as if he had a say in who I was with. His tone suggested that he was expecting a certain answer from me since saying that, as did the look on his face.

“You don't have to like it,” I snapped. “It doesn't mean that I'm going to break up and ignore him to suit your needs.”

“But,” he protested. “But the way he looks at you... it's like you're something to eat.”

 I couldn't help it; I snorted, choking back the hysterical laughter that threatened to explode from me. As it was, a small giggle managed to escape me as I fled to the locker room. I found his words funny, not just because he was right, but because of the fact that he didn't realize that the feeling was mutual. I hungered for Edward just as much as he did for me; I, apparently, was just better at hiding it – well, it was either that, or Mike saying what he did had more to do with the fact that he was hoping to freak me out by saying that, which it didn't.

I dressed quickly, having already begun to taste the increase of emotion that was equated with the proximity of Edward. I fought to keep from frowning at what I tasted from him, just as I fought to keep my speed at a human level. It seemed that he didn't care for being separated from me all that much; it was something that I had to agree with, in all truth. When I exited the locker room, and he saw me, there was a physical change to his emotions, a change that was more prominent the close to him I got. He felt a peculiar sense of relief as I reached his side.

“Hi,” I said, smiling to him.

“Hello,” he answered, flashing a brilliant smile to me in return. “How was Gym?”

“You were watching, weren't you?” I said,not accusingly, and also not really expecting him to answer it. I had a feeling that it was true, anyway. His smile faltered.

“I'm not mad at you,” I told him. His smiled returned.

“That was a nice hit,” he told me, and I immediately knew what he was talking about.

“Thank you,” I said, as we began to walk over to his car. However, as we got close to where he'd parked this morning, I realized that there was a crowd of students standing around them; or, rather, the one car, at the very least. Rosalie's red convertible was surrounded by what looked to be like every guy in school, desire rolling off of them in waves. I felt like panting, my tongue feeling as if it was on fire from the overdose of cinnamon. Luckily, the fact that they were acting like that kept them from noticing Edward and I, and we were able to get into Edward's car unnoticed.

“Ostentatious,” Edward muttered as he carefully backed out, trying hard not to hit anyone.

“What kind of car is it?” I asked.

“An M3,” he answered. I nodded, having heard of them before. I waited until we were out of the school parking lot before speaking again.

“So,” I said conversationally, “want to explain to me why you didn't tell your family anything we had discussed yesterday?”

He sighed, not saying anything, and I felt my anger beginning to build once again. I tampered it down, still wondering why he hadn't said anything. Then, a new thought occurred to me.

“I mean, are you ashamed of me? Is that why you didn't say anything?” I asked, my voice small as I looked down at my lap, twining my fingers together.

“No!” he said, sounding horrified, like he couldn't believe that I would actually think that. Shame swept over my tongue as he realized just how I could have come to that conclusion. “I'm not ashamed of you,” he said forcefully, then sighed. “I...I just didn't want to deal with them. I know them pretty well, after all – being able to see into their heads and knowing almost all of their thoughts – so I know how they'd react. Carlisle would probably want to study you. Jasper would be extremely wary, especially if you're around Alice. Emmett would probably think you're crazy without proof, and then want to test you and see if he could resist your Draw or which of you is stronger. Rosalie also wouldn't believe you without proof, and even then, she'd most likely dislike you and want you gone, because of the way Emmett would act. Alice and Esme are really the only ones who would accept you as you are and not care about what you can do, for different reasons.”

He stopped there, though I knew that he was leaving out a few parts, particularly with Rosalie, Alice, and Esme. There was a slight hesitant pause after he spoke about Rosalie, and I had seen him forming some more words to say before he started talking about Alice and Esme. The same thing happened after that as well. I didn't press him about it, though, choosing instead to think about what it was that he had just said.

I could tell by the way that he spoke that he held no illusions as to what his family would do, even if he did hide some things from me about them. Yet, even knowing his reasons why, I still didn't think he had a good one for not informing them about what I was. In my opinion, when I had given permission for him to tell, it wasn't so much as permission than an order for him to do so. It also didn't help that I got a sense that he was lying about the reasoning as well. While I could sense that he did believe what he had said, I could also sense that something was being hidden.

However, before I could say anything on the subject, he spoke again. “So, how did Alice find out about you?” he asked, seemingly having forgotten that I had actually told him this before. I tasted a hint of jealousy when he said that. My eyes widened as I realized what it was that he was keeping hidden.

“You wanted to keep my to yourself for a while, didn't you?” I said, looking at him wide-eyed. Now that was something that I hadn't expected, though, just as I voiced the words, I realized that it did make a lot of sense. He had been angry to know that Alice had known before for him. I had thought it was because she'd known and didn't tell anyone, but know, thinking about it some more, I realized that it wasn't so much as that as the fact that we'd hung out before that had angered him. This, of course, had me remembering the way he'd been the nights I'd pretended to be asleep – the peacefulness, the way he was reluctant to leave...the love...

I mentally shook my head as I returned my eyes to the road, though I wasn't actually seeing it. I waited to see if he would say anything to what I'd just said, but all I got from him was a sense of embarrassment at the fact that I'd figured out his true reasoning.

Like I said earlier, I spied on you after the van accident,” I said, and the words seem to restart what I'd said earlier.

“Right,” he said, his brow furrowing. “What did you mean about how her visions worked when it came to you?”

“She can't see me, not clearly,” I said. “The only time she really can is if it has to do with you or your family, and even then, it's blurry, with me fading in and out.”

“Her power doesn't work properly on you,” he said, frowning. I had the feeling that he was wishing it was that way with his ability as well, rather than the total blankness he actually got from me.

“By the way,” I said, looking at him. “I'm not surprised that Rosalie wouldn't want anything to do with me, even knowing that I do have a right to know what you are.”

“Really,” he said. “Why?”

“Because of how vicious she was when it came out that you'd be interested in me,” I said. “She hated the idea of that, though I'm not sure why she had the reactions she did, nor did I understand why she held the emotions she did either.”

“What emo-” he started to asked.

“No,” I said. “Just because I can taste them doesn't mean that I'm going to tell you what everyone's emotions are, unless they're something you can tell by their thoughts as well. That's something that's a bit private, thank you very much. After all, you don't go around telling people the thoughts that you hear, do you?”

“No,” he said, sounding a bit resigned but understanding as well. While emotions themselves were as private as thoughts, they were still private enough that I was willing to respect them, and not spread them around without a good reason. Telling Edward what Rosalie had been feeling deep down was something that I did not consider to be a good reason.

We arrived at my house then, and, while I'd rather stay in the car with Edward, I knew that I should go in. Sighing, I said bye and opened the door, getting out and heading towards my house. Halfway up the walkway, a thought occurred to me, and I turned around, motioning him to roll the window down.

“Oh, by the way, tomorrow, you and I, we're going to play twenty questions, only, with a lot more questions. Okay?” I said. “And, if possible, I would like to see Alice tonight, before you come over and before you have your talk with her. Would you let her know? I haven't had spent that much time with her in the last few weeks, especially since you started coming around. And make sure that, before tomorrow, you do let your family know everything. That's an order, by the way.”

“All right, but I get to ask the first question,” he said. I thought about it, deciding that I did care.

“Fine, but the questioning will go back and forth between us, and only one question asked per round,” I said, before turning away.

---

 

Alice was just slightly mad at me when I met her in the forest outside my house. It didn't take long for me to learn what the source of her ire was.

“You just had to tell him that I'd known about you before he did,” she said, the minute I'd stepped into the clearing we'd always met in. She was standing across the way, her arms crossed and a pout on her face.

A quick test for the surrounding area allowed me to know that Edward was respecting my wishes to see Alice, for he was no where near – in my range, anyway. I was sure that Alice would tell me if he was as well, once she got over her ire.

“He's been giving me a headache by purposely being indecisive. I didn't even know that it was possible for me to get a headache,” she continued, complaining. “The only good thing is the fact that...”

I tuned her out at that point, knowing that she really just needed to get this off of her chest, though I did catch the fact that Edward had respected my request that he hold off on getting on Alice's case – I hadn't taken in him being indecisive, though.

“You done?” I asked, once she'd stopped talking. She glared at me, but it didn't have that much of an effect on me. Part of it was because I knew that she wouldn't do anything to me, just as she knew that I wouldn't do anything to her, but most of it was because of the fact that she actually wasn't annoyed with me.

“So, what's been going on at your house? Did he tell everyone, yet?” I asked. She sighed, leaning against a tree.

“Yeah,” she said. “Carlisle was the only one who believed him at first, though, mostly because, as the eldest, he does know a bit about the fact that there are other supernatural creatures out there, even if he hadn't ever met one before. He had heard rumors about your kind before, though nothing concrete. However, it wasn't until Edward turned to me and asked why I'd never told any of them about you before that the others started believing – and questioning me, wondering when I found out.

“I did tell them about the fact that I'd seen you spying on us after the van accident, which, of course, did lead to some questions about how I could not have seen that, so I had to admit that, like Edward, my power didn't really work on you. That got Carlisle attention. He's interested in finding more out about you, so don't be surprised if he asks you questions, though Edward and I already told him all that we know about you and what you've said about your kind. Emmett's interested in testing you, to see which of you are stronger.

“Jasper's slightly wary of you, especially after finding out about your Draw ability, but he's not as unhappy about you knowing what we are as he was, and is more than willing to give you a chance. In fact, he is kind of interesting in meeting you. Esme also can't wait to meet you, and doesn't seem to care about what you are at all, though she is slightly happy to know that you're not a human – I'll let Edward explain why on that, as it has to do with him a bit.

“However, Rosalie...well, she still wants you dead, though not because you know what we are, but because she believes that you'll still bring danger to our family, by either attacking or drawing attention to us. Of course, she can't kill you unless she's prepared to fight me and Edward, and Carlisle has already said that he will kick her out of the family if she does. She's too comfortable to want that, and she already knows that she can't really beat the two...three of us, as Jasper won't let anyone attack me if he can stop it, so...”

“She won't, though she'll still make her displeasure known,” I said. It was pretty much what Edward said, and not too bad, all considering. It seemed that, out of the seven, most of them were willing to give me a chance. I was a bit amused about the fact that Emmett really did want to test me. I wondered on what. Running? If he was faster than Alice, then it might be a challenge. Fighting? We'd probably be evenly matched there. The Draw? Now that one was the one that I wasn't comfortable with. Edward had a problem breaking it, and, no offense to Emmett, but I didn't think he'd be stronger mentally than Edward. And I have the feeling that, rules or no rules, Rosalie would definitely attempt to kill me should we kiss.

“So, other than Rosalie, everything's going to be alright between me and the rest of your family?” I said, clarifying.

“Yeah,” she said. Then, a blank look crossed her face for a moment because she rolled her eyes.

“Edward's getting a bit impatient,” she said, shaking her head. “So is Jasper. However, they both can wait, as I have something to ask you?”

“What?” I said.

“Are you going to let me help you on Saturday?” she asked. I was crafty in hiding my horror. While I had no delusions that she wouldn't be helpful, I had no desire to pretend to be a Barbie doll, letting her do what she wanted. I hated it when my mother did it, and I sensed that Alice would probably be ten times worse than Renée on that aspect, mostly because she was rather domineering when it came to clothing and appearance. I already knew, from one of our previous chats, that she was responsible for her family's appearances, and while they looked good, I was not all that willing to relinquish control of how I would look for the dance – or anything – at this point in time.

“No, I think I can deal with it myself,” I said, feeling a little ping of sadness when her face fell. It it wasn't for the rather devious emotions that I could taste coming from beneath her faux sadness, I might have repented my previous statement. As it was, the fact that I knew that I would be alright helped me from saying anything to the effects of letting her help.

“Are you going to the dance this Saturday?” I asked. She nodded, seeing that I wasn't about to change my mind, and stopping her attempt to manipulate me.

“So is Rosalie,” she added. “Oh, you should see the dress that Rose got. It's nice, but a little showy. She's going to have almost all the boys drooling over her at the dance.”

“That's probably the effect she wants to have,” I said. I didn't need to have actually met Rosalie to know that, while protective of her family, she also liked the attention that being what she was gave her. She liked it when the guys at the school drooled over her and her things. I suspected that there was something good in her, but the fact that she wanted me dead made it hard to see what it may be.

Alice and I continued to chat about the dance and who was going with who, gossiping as if we were normal teens. Of course, normal teens didn't have a way to see exactly how the night would end for some of the people who would be going. Alice was rather informative in telling me the actions some of our peers were going to do, leaving the both of us laughing. I definitely could way to see some of the actions in real life, especially for the students that I really didn't care much for, such as Lauren and Jessica.

She did frown a few times, and I tasted the emotions of Edward and Jasper more than once when they came closer to us a few times, but we were quick to send them off in order to continue our talk to each other. It was only when the light began to brighten that we said our good-byes to each other, her parting words being that Edward would be picking me up again and that she'd see me at school. I headed back to my house, wondering just how irritated Edward was going to be after having to wait the entire night for Alice and I to finish up.

I managed to make it back to the house before Charlie woke up, his alarm going off mere moments after I got through the window. I waited until I heard the shower go on to make any movement, heading straight to my dresser as I did so. Quietly, I pulled out what I planned on wearing – a black tank top, dark red long-sleeved blouse with a wide neckline, dark wash jeans and clunky boots – out of it, dressing in them while glad that I'd had the foresight to take a shower before I went to 'bed' the previous night. Heading downstairs, I made breakfast to surprise Charlie, setting it onto the table just as he came down the stairs himself, dressed for work.

Breakfast went by quickly, Charlie staying quiet the entire time, until his plate was cleared.

“So, what are your plans for this Saturday?” he asked. “Are you still going to the dance? Who are you going with, anyway? I mean, which boy asked you to go with them?”

I was careful not to allow him to see me roll my eyes. It had been surprising to him before when I mentioned that I was going to get a dress for the dance as the reason why I had decided to go to Port Angeles with Angela the other day. He hadn't said anything about it then, though. He was apparently making up for it now. I was careful to compose my face as I told him some half-truths. There were just some things that I did not want him to know about.

“I'll probably go out somewhere until it's about time to get ready for the dance, which I am still going to. And I asked Edward Cullen to go with me,” I told him.

“Why did you ask him?” he asked, about to go into a tirade about how it should be the other way around, and how any of the boys at school would be lucky to go with me.

“It's a girl's choice dance, Dad,” I explained. “The girls are the ones who are supposed to ask the boys.”

“Oh,” he said, blushing a bit as he looked at his empty plate.

“What are you planning on doing?” I asked, going over to the sink to wash the dishes I'd used, so I didn't have to do them later. I figured that it would be a good idea to know where he was Saturday, especially since I was hoping that he wouldn't be here around the time I got ready for the dance. I didn't want my Dad to interrogate Edward and attempt to scare him off, despite the fact that I doubt it actually would. Also, because I didn't plan on telling Charlie that I was going to be spending the entire day with Edward. I didn't want to get Edward or his family into trouble should the hold on our monsters fail, and we ended up seriously hurting each other.

“It's supposed to be nice on Saturday, so I'm going fishing,” he said. Nice on Saturday, huh? That had me wondering if it would be sunny as well. While I knew that they couldn't go out into it, Alice would never tell me the exact reason for that, and, though I hadn't gotten around to asking Edward, I had the feeling that he'd be the same way. I hoped that, if it was going to be sunny Saturday, then I'd be able to find out what the mystery was, especially since I would be spending it with Edward.

I took Charlie's plate to clean with the rest of the dishes as he went and grabbed his gun and keys, leaving after telling me to have a good day. Once I was finished, I headed back upstairs, brushing my teeth and hair before grabbing my bag, peaking outside as I passed the window, despite how unneeded it was. I didn't need to see the car to know that he was here, having tasted his emotions as he pulled up to the house. I did have to work to keep a smile from coming to my face as I tasted his irritation. He apparently was still a bit sour over the fact that I had spent the entire night talking to Alice.

I quickly clunked my way down the stairs and out the door, locking it behind me before walking over to his car, and getting in. His irritation faded once I was there.

“Morning,” I said brightly as I buckled myself in, throwing my bag in the back. “How was your night?”

He scowled at me. “I really wish that you hadn't spent the entire time with Alice,” he said, his scowl fading away. “Good morning, by the way. How are you today?”

“Okay,” I said. “So, what's your first question going to be?”

He thought for a moment, then asked, “What's your favorite color?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don't have a set favorite color,” I told him. “It changes from day to day.”

“What's your favorite color today, then?” he asked. I frowned at him; it was my turn to ask the question.

“I'll answer this for you, but I get to ask two questions for you next, since it was my turn to ask this time,” I said. I looked down at what I was wearing. “I guess my favorite color today is...dark red.”

He opened his mouth again, about to ask another question, but I held up my hand, stalling him from doing so.

“My turn,” I said, thinking. “What does Rosalie really think about me? I mean, I know that she wants me dead, and why, but that doesn't explain her actually thoughts about me in general.”

He winced.

“Oh, and please, tell me the truth. I can handle it,” I added on, realizing that he might attempt to give me either a half truth, or a lie. I made sure that my tone of voice was threatening when I said that, suggesting that it would be in his best interest to tell me what I wanted to know, and not attempt to lie about or hide a part of it. He sighed.

“She, well, she doesn't like the fact that you've come in and...shook up the way everything in her life was going. She also hates the fact that it was even hinted that we might have to move sooner than we already would because of you, and, though it's not needed, the fact that it was considered has not left her mind,” he said. “More importantly, though, is the fact that I'm interested in you, and that I never showed her any interest when we first met. After seeing the way I acted to other women, vampire and human, she decided that there was something wrong with me, but with me showing you interest, well, it's force her to change that, and it's made her dislike of you stronger because of that.”

I thought about it. For the most part, it basically sounded like a shallow reason, for her dislike of me all pointed to how my presence effected her for the most part. Somehow, though, it didn't really surprise me. She kind of struck me as the type who liked to have all attention of her, just as I had mentioned to Alice upon her mentioning that Rosalie's dress was kind of showy. It seemed, though, that Rosalie did not care for the idea that even one man's attention was never on her in an admiring way, which, it seemed, Edward's had never been. Of course, since Edward could read minds, it was possible that the reason for his lack of attention towards her was because his outlook of her was colored by her thoughts, which were probably not humble.

“Okay, now for my next question. Why is it that Esme can't wait to meet me, and why did Alice say that she was slightly glad to know that I wasn't human?” I asked, turning two questions into one. He frowned at me, but he couldn't actually say anything, due to the way it was presented. Plus, he was relieved that I hadn't pressed with the Rosalie deal. Honestly, so long as she didn't attack me, I didn't really care all that much about it. She was just there, a part of Edward's family, one that didn't like me. And, since either Edward or Alice would most likely pick up on whether she decided to try and attack me or not, I didn't really need to waste energy thinking about her constantly.

“Esme wants to meet you badly because of the fact that I've never paid attention to anyone outside of the family, at least, not in an interested way, like I am with you. She's ecstatic over the fact that I am showing interest in you, and wants to meet the girl whom I lo-,” he stopped right there, not having meant to go that far. I didn't need him to continue, though, knowing what he was about to say, knowing how he felt. I was glad that he had stopped; I wasn't ready to hear his confession at the moment, partially because I thought it was a bit too soon, and partially because I wasn't ready to answer him back. I knew that I cared about him, and that I liked him, but I didn't know the depths of my feelings at the moment. I wasn't ready to say or hear any love confessions to or from him.

“As for why she's glad that your not human, it's because it helps make our relationship a bit easier,” he continued, pushing pass whatever he was going to say rather quickly, before I could ask about it, as he most likely suspect that I might do. “If we decide to become more serious, it helps that I won't have to leave you when it comes time for us to leave, or hide anything from you as I would have to do if you were human.”

“Ah, I see,” I said. “But I have to ask: would she care if I was actually human?”

“No, not really,” he said. “She'd worry a bit, but your welcome would pretty much be the same from her.”

“That's nice to know,” I said. “And, before you say it, I know, you get to ask two questions this time around.”

He smiled at me, and I could tell that, while what I'd just said amused him, he was not surprised that I would mention it, nor did it even cross his mind that I might not play fairly. That was good, since it meant that he'd realized enough about me to know that I wouldn't cheat.

He looked deep in thought for a moment.

“What's your favorite book?” he asked I snorted at him.

“That's like asking me what my favorite color is,” I told him. “It's not something I can just single out. And it's the same thing with music too, before you try asking about that. In fact, when it comes to favorites, most of those type pf questions are not ones I can answer all that easily.”

“Good to know,” he said, before asking his next question. Once it was answer, we finally fell into a rhythm of asking and answering back and forth. Since I had ask the questions I really wanted to know the answers to, I decided to discover his favorites – which, despite my warning, he was still asking about – and we only stopped when we noticed that we were about to be late, having sat in the car once we'd parked. I learned quite a bit about him outside of anything vampire related. Of course, quite a few of the answers I'd been give showcased the fact that he definitely wasn't from the last few decades.

The psychoanalysis continued up throughout the day, with every break resulting in him walking me to my class just so we could continue. In fact, the only time we didn't speak when in each other's presence was during Biology, where we continued the movie, holding hands to keep the electric feeling under control. And, when he walked me to Gym, he was reluctant to leave me. He repeated my actions of the previous day himself, his hand trailing down my face and leaving a path that felt as though he had someone burnt me, much like the feeling that my fingertips had been left with when I had done it.

After Gym, our talk continued, even going well into the night. The only pauses were when Charlie came home, and them when I snuck out to find a safer spot to speak at, not wanting to wake Charlie after he'd gone to bed. I ended up showing him what the effect of him being in my life had, for, when he went back to asking about favorites – gemstones, this time – I ended up admitting that it was a cross between topaz and onyx. That was actually surprising to myself because, before I'd met him, my favorite stone was sapphire. I didn't tell him this, though, for he did notice my surprise at all, something which I was glad for.

“All right, my turn,” I said, thinking for a moment. “What's your favorite time of day, and why?”

“It's twilight,” he said, sounding thoughtful. “It's the safest time of day for us vampires, the easiest, but the saddest as well. The end of another day, the return of night. Darkness is so predictable, don't you think?”

“I happen to like night. I love seeing the stars; the fact that I could go out and do that back in Phoenix was the only think I considered nice about having been turned,” I told him, looking up towards the cloud-riddled sky, which was barely visible between the leaves of the trees. “Of course, being here, it's kind of hard to do that, what with the rain and all.”

He laughed, the mood lightening almost immediately. I smiled back at him, before taking a glance at the clock on my cell.

“Charlie's going to wake up soon,” I said, my tone suggesting that I wished for anything but that.

“Speaking of your father,” Edward said. “What have you told him about...?”

“I've told him that you're my date for the dance, but I didn't mention anything about spending the day with you as well. I also have no plan on doing that, so you can save your breath trying to convince me to do so. It's one think for him to know I'm going to a dance with you, but it's another if I'm with you the entire day. He would purposely cancel his plans for the day just to interrogate you for an hour or two,” I told him, standing up from where I was sitting. “So you coming to pick me up this morning?”

“Yeah, I'll see you in a few moments,” he said, leaving himself. I watched him go before turning and heading to my own house once again.

 

---

 

Another day of questions going between us had us sitting in his car in my driveway after school, neither of us all that inclined to mention that we were at my house. However, as it came closer to dinner, I finally realized that I couldn't hold it off any longer, especially if I wanted to have something ready for Charlie once he got here.

“You coming back here tonight after Charlie's asleep?” I asked him, grabbing my bag from the backseat as I did so.

“Yeah,” he said. “I'll see you then.”

He reached across me to open my door, but his hand froze on the handle just as my body froze from how close he was too me. It was too close! However, his emotions of shock and dismay coated my tongue, and he straightened, looking out his window, down the street.

“Not good,” he muttered.

“What is it?” I asked, speaking through clenched teeth as my hands gripped my bag, trying to make sure that I didn't lose an inch of my control.

“A complication,” he said glumly. I didn't have time to ask him what he meant, for, just moments after he did, I tasted it, and my face screwed up in disgust as it became stronger. Someone was coming, someone whose emotions...I didn't know what to even say about them. They weren't...right. They had a...bitterness to them that I had never actually tasted in anyone else's emotions; it was like food gone sour when it hadn't been eaten before it expired. And, if that bitterness wasn't bad enough, there was the taste of ashes and acid mixed in as well. Whoever this – or they, as I realized that there was more than one person, with one of them having this coming from them even stronger than the other – they had a lot of hate and fury running through them.

The emotions were also making me feel ill, especially since they were joined in my Edward's hatred and dislike for whoever it was.

Opening my own door, I stepped out of the car, looking in the direction that Edward was looking in. I saw the headlights as a black truck turned onto my street, revealing two people as it came closer, the emotions growing stronger. When Edward was illuminated by the glare of the headlights as they came closer, his gaze seemed to lock on someone I couldn't see in the truck. His expression was a mix of frustration and defiance. Then, as I closed the door and stepped away, he revved the engine, and tired squealed against the wet pavement as the Volvo tore out of sight within seconds.

The unknown people pulled up to the house, and I stayed where I was standing at the driver side door opened. The driver – who looked to be around my own age – went to the back, getting a wheelchair out, and brought it over to the passenger's side. That was about the time that Charlie's cruiser pulled up, and, seeing Charlie being quick to walk to the truck, I decided to head into the house, not really able to stomach the emotions anymore – I couldn't even taste Charlie's over theirs due to how strong and overpowering they were.

I hurriedly walked inside, heading up to my room at a fast pace, about to lock the door and leave again until the two were gone, but I hadn't even gotten two steps towards the window when I hard Charlie calling my name. I paused, scowling before swallowing harshly, schooling my features into something of an indifferent look, and turned around, walking back down the stairs to discover who the beings who these disgusting emotions belong to.

I didn't recognize the young boy, who had been the driver of the truck. I realized quickly that I have overestimated his age; he couldn't have been more than fourteen, fifteen at most. He had long, glossy black hair, russet-colored skin, dark eyes that sparked with interest upon seeing me, and just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin and cheeks. It was an alright face, but nothing really all that special, definitely unmemorable.

I looked to the other person, and was immediately struck with recognition. I knew exactly who it was as I took in his memorable face – a face that overflowed, with cheeks resting against his shoulders, creases running through the russet skin like an old leather jacket. The surprisingly familiar black eyes that seemed both young and old at the same time were wide as Charlie reintroduced me to Billy Black.

A complication, as Edward had said, for I knew immediately, by the look on his face, that this man knew exactly what Edward was. And it wasn't just his expression that told me this, either. His emotions – for, unlike the boy's, that which made them sick to my stomach was lighter, enough that I was able to find the other emotions he was feeling a bit easier – told me this far more than his expression did. I inwardly groaned as I realized that I should have already realized this, remembering the book that I had gotten while I was in Port Angeles. The only part of it that I had actually read in depth was the legend about the cold ones. That had caught my eye, mostly because it was easy to see that they had been talking about vampires, the drinking the blood of their victims being the main clear point about it. Other than that, the most I'd given the book was a curious glace, wanting to see if there was anything that would point to my kind in there.

Looking at Billy, I could see, very easily, that he believed in those legends, and my stomach tightened as I wondered if he would mention what Edward was to Charlie if it Edward happened to come up. Then, I decided that it most likely wouldn't happen, mostly because it woulds end up causing him to look more than foolish and insane.

After saying the obligatory hi to them, I turned, feelingly stomach turn as I passed by them on my way to the kitchen. I needed to get out of the room as the ill feeling that Billy's and the boy's emotions caused me grew slightly stronger. I barely kept from holding my hand over my mouth and running away from them as I escaped into the kitchen. Unfortunately for me, the taste didn't lessen as much as I wished it would; in fact, it didn't lessen at all, as one of them ended up following me into the kitchen – the boy, based on the taste of his emotions. While Billy's were strong, they seemed almost mute compared to this boy's, which meant that my stomach was going to continue to turn.

I ignored the boy as I worked to make Charlie something to eat, something simple since I didn't have time to make anything bigger.

“Hi, Isabella,” the boy said, seemingly to not realize that I wanted nothing to do with him. I frowned.

“Hi,” I muttered. “Who are you?” I asked the last bit, mostly because I was a bit curious, and also because it would have been rude of me to just straight up ignore him, which, I had the feeling, Charlie wouldn't approve of.

“Jacob,” he said, his voice sounding as if it was supposed to mean something to me. “Billy's son. We used to make mud pies together.”

I drew a blank, not remembering him at all. Still, I nodded all the same, which not only seemed to reassure him, but had him relieved as well – at least, I thought the change in his emotions was that. It was so hard to tell with everything else piled on top of it. Still, since I was reasonably sure that was what it was, it had me wondering why he would feel that way. I just knew, though, that if I asked about it, he wouldn't say why. As I finished making Charlie a sandwich, Jacob came to lean against the counter, as close to me as he could without invading my personal space.

“So...” he started, seeming to be trying to find a topic to talk about. “is there something wrong with the truck?”

I glanced over at him, wondering why he'd be wondering that before remembering that his father had been the one to own it before. I wondered if he had some attachment to it that I was unaware of.

“No,” I finally said. “Why do you want to know?”

“Oh,” I was just wondering why you weren't driving it,” he said, his eyes beginning to rove over my body. I rolled mine.

I got a ride with my boyfriend,” I told him coolly, lying a bit since Edward wasn't actually my boyfriend, yet – we did seem to be heading that way, with the way things were going. Another bout of disappointment ran through him.

“He's got a nice ride,” he said, his voice glum. “I didn't recognize the driver, though. And I could have sworn that I knew all of the kids around here.”

I nodded, pretending that I was interested. I didn't answer, though; I didn't feel that it was any of his business, though, if he continued to push it, I probably would. As I looked up, my eyes widened when I saw Ashanti standing at the edge of the forest, leaning up against the tree. When she saw that I had noticed her, she gave a little wave, then made a motion towards Jacob.

“He taste strange and disgusting, doesn't he?” she said softly, though I heard her quite clearly. At the same time, Jacob spoke as well.

“My dad seemed to know him from somewhere, though,” he had said, pressing to know who my boyfriend was. I rolled my eyes, seeing Ashanti chuckle as she saw the movement. Could this kid not take a hint?

“So, who was it?” he pressed. Apparently not I thought, my eyes still on Ashanti.

“Pushy, isn't he?” she said. I nodded my head slightly, just enough for her to see, before turning to the boy, who was feigning interest in the table.

“It was Edward Cullen,” I said, mentally adding You nosy bastard after it. I had the feeling that, had I said that last bit, it wouldn't have been good.

Once I had told him who it was, an understanding look came to his face as he chuckled, his manner appearing easy. However, underneath the surface, a strong run of dislike ran through him. Contemplation ran through him.

“No wonder my dad acted the way he did,” he said, while he became expectant, as if there was a question he expected me to ask. When I stayed silent while beginning the dishes, he began to think about something, resolve flowing through him moments later.

“Bella, do you know any of our legends? The Quileute legends, I mean,” he asked. I turned so that he could see my raised eyebrow as I shook my head no, for, though I had that book, I wasn't about to mention anything about knowing the vampire legends, especially since I had the feeling that he was asking me this for a reason, and I really wanted to know what that reason was. Plus, for all I knew, he might just give me a hint as to why he tasted so badly.

“Well, there are a lot of them. Some of them even date back to the Flood – supposedly the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountains to survive, like Noah and the ark,” he said, his tone giving the suggestion that he didn't quite believe that story. “Another legend, though, claims that we descend from wolves, and that wolves are our brothers still.”

Hearing that, I turned him out, turning it over in my mind. Descended from wolves? I wondered if it was true or not. I mean, if it was, it would explain why his emotions tasted wrong to me; he wasn't a complete human but a half-breed, his other half being part animal. I couldn't taste animal emotions at all, though, so I couldn't say if it was true or not, despite the fact that it did make sense. My eyes flickered to where Ashanti had been standing, to see if she had heard it, and, by the look on her face, I could tell that she had, for she looked just as interested in it.

“Ditch the boy and get to your room as soon as you can,” she commanded, flitting away as I heard Jacob continue his story, telling me about the cold ones. Since my back was turned, he wasn't able to see the fact that I had rolled my eyes. Of course. This had to have been what he had been contemplating about earlier. From the fact that his father knew what Edward was, I had the feeling that he somewhat knew about them, and, since the cold ones stories tied into that fact... Of course, I could tell that he didn't actually believe what he was saying, just saying it in order to make me have some second thoughts about dating Edward, trying to make me have doubts about Edward, especially since the stories about the 'cold ones' fit Edward pretty well. It was too bad for him that, even if I hadn't known this, I still wouldn't turn away from Edward.

I was tempted to tell him that his attempts were wasted, that I already knew what Edward was, but that would have been a confirmation that his story was actually true, and I wasn't going to betray Edward's trust simply because a little boy was annoying me.

“Nice story, Black,” I said vaguely as he finished mentioning how the Cullens fit in his story. His disappointment with my lack of any action danced on my tongue as he quickly changed his tune, saying that he didn't believe any of it. He continued talking, mentioning that his dad did believe in them, though, and that he would appreciate it if I didn't mention them to anyone else, especially my father. I had to work on keeping my anger in check when he mentioned that his father had convinced a lot of the people on La Push to boycott the hospital since Carlisle started working there.

I promised that I wouldn't mention anything, lying through my teeth, of course. Then, grabbing the plate that Charlie's sandwich was on, I walked out of the kitchen.

“I'm going upstairs to work on my homework. Night, Dad, Jacob, Billy,” I said, making it clear that this wasn't an open invitation for Jacob to follow me again. It seemed that, like in the kitchen, he didn't get this little fact, following almost right after me. I ended up having to shut the door in his face, locking it so that he didn't open it, which he tried to do.

“Go away, Black,” I said, just loud enough for him to hear. I turned to see Ashanti standing there, looking just as ill as I felt. Making a motion with my head, I jumped out from my open window, running straight to the forest with her behind. I didn't stop running until the taste had faded from my mouth.

“What was that about?” I said.

“I see you know what I mean now, about the Quileutes,” Ashanti said. I turned to her.

“Have you figured out what they are?” I asked. Her eyes widened for some reason.

“I wasn't imagining it,” she said, which prompted a clueless look from me. “Usually, your so cold and want to get rid of me, telling me straight up to leave, but the last time I visited, you didn't say a thing. And now, this time, you didn't get mad when you noticed that I was watching you. In fact, you even talked with me a bit, and, when I mentioned that I would see you up in your room, you didn't give me a look that would suggest you hated the idea.” She looked slightly impressed, a smile dancing around on her lips. “You're not as bitter as you used to be. It would seem that love agrees with you.”

She sounded sad at the last part, her face reflecting it for a moment, but then, after she cleared her throat, the sadness was gone. I opened my mouth – to say what, I didn't exactly know, though I was leaning towards denying that I was in love at the moment – but she shook her head at me, silently begging me not to say anything, and I stilled my tongue.

“As for your question, no, I haven't, though, based on the information the kid was talking to you about, and something I saw a few days ago, I have a slight idea. What about you? Have you formed any theories while the boy was talking to you?” she asked.

“Yes, actually. As you heard, the boy thought it would be a good idea to tell me some of the Quileute legends, most particularly the ones about the cold ones – he was most likely hoping that I would change my mind about dating Edward when I heard about his 'bad reputation' with his people. However, before he started talking about that, he mentioned something about them being descended from wolves,” I said. “I think that might have something to do with it.”

“So, we're on the same page, then,” she said, nodding. “Well, that explains what I saw a bit better.”

“What did you see?” I asked.

“You remember what I told you about them earlier, right?” she asked. I nodded. “Well, since the first time I went there, several of them have been following me around. Several days ago, I decided to turn the table, and follow them around. Well, when one went into the forest, I lost sight of him for a few seconds, and couldn't find him again, but I did see a wolf roaming around not long after I'd lost him. It makes me wonder if, perhaps, that was him.”

“Wait, are you saying that werewolves are actually real? And that some of the Quileutes are some?” I said, my disbelief evident, despite the fact that I had been hinting to about the same thing. I probably shouldn't have been as surprised as I felt, especially when I considered the fact that vampires were real as well. I should have realized that it other supernatural creatures were real after that. Of course, a good bit of my surprised came from the fact that it was just another supernatural creature here in Forks, which was beginning to feel like a supernatural hotspot to me.

However, after voicing that, I was surprised when she shook her head.

“No, they're not werewolves – or, Children of the Moon, as it's technically called in our world,” she said. “I've seen a real one, and, like the legends on them say, they can only transform during the full moon. No, I think these ones are actually shape shifters, the wolf form either being their preferred form or the one they first change into and they don't know they can do other forms. All though, that doesn't quite explain the taste of their emotions...”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, I've met other shape shifters before, and they don't taste like these ones do,” she said. “Truthfully, their emotions are very dim, almost elusive – you barely get a hint of them in a crowd of humans, and wouldn't even taste them if a single vampire was within your range. So, the fact that they taste as they do...”

“Would make it appear as if they were something else,” I said. “Well, based on what Jacob just said, the ability is genetic. Would that have something to do with the change?”

“No,” she said. “It's genetic for regular shifters as well, and it automatically triggers for all of them once they hit sixteen.”

I frowned, thinking for a moment as I thought back to the story that Jacob had told me. He hadn't said anything other than the wolves enemy being the vampires, and then his story had pretty much gone into how the Cullens were first introduced to the Quileutes. I wondered if the book would help me on this fact, and looked to the house for a moment before looking back at her. I saw that she had adopted a thinking face.

“Well, truthfully, while I would like the mystery solved, I don't really care, so long as they don't come near me often,” I finally said, the decision coming to me quite easily. I looked back in the direction of my house. “I think think they're gone now. It's pretty late, after all, almost time for Charlie to begin to fall asleep.”

When I looked back at her, I noticed that she was now smirking.

“Have plans with your vampire,” she said, her smirk widening. I shrugged, giving a vague wave to her before turning and heading towards my house. I heard her give a little laugh behind me, but ignored it, especially as I noticed, with relief, that I had been right – they were indeed gone, for I could taste a single bit of their emotions. Smiling, I jumped up into my room, just in time to hear Charlie knocking on my door. I walked over to it, opening it.

“Yeah?” I said.

“Just making sure you're still in there,” he said. “You've been extremely quiet.”

“I was just doing homework, as I said I would,” I told him.

“Oh, okay then. Well, carry on,” he said, turning and walking back downstairs. I held back a chuckle at that, closing my door once more and changing into some comfortable pajamas, not planning on leaving my room again – while Charlie didn't actually do my laundry, he did sometimes move it from the washer to the dryer or from the dryer to a laundry basket. I didn't want him to notice that there weren't that many pairs of pajamas in there as their should be. So long as there was at least a pair or two, there would be no awkward questions.

Once finished, I grabbed the book of Quileute legends that I'd gotten, going through it more in depth than I had before. I took everything in, front the flood legends to those about the Spirit Warriors, and the beginning of how they first started shifting. I was just nearing when the first legend about the cold ones came into play when Edward arrived. I realized then that the house itself was quiet, though I still kept reading, wanting to finish where I was at.

“What are you reading?” he asked me, just as I bookmarked my page and set it down.

“Quileute legends,” I said. I watched as his smile became rather fixed at hearing that.

“Why?” he asked.

“I told Jacob black that you were my boyfriend,” I said. He was pleased to hear that, even though we had technically never declared each other in that way. “And, when he heard about that, he decided that I had to know about some of their legends, particularly the one that leads into your family.” I tilted my head. “I didn't know that you had a treaty with them that banned you from ever going onto the reservation. Is that why you said no on going there when Mike tried to invite me that one day? Because you're not allowed to go there?”

“Yes,” he said, and I could hear the anger that I tasted from him in his voice. “So long as we don't go onto their land or bite someone, they can't attack us. At least, that's what we agreed on when we made the treaty, for us. Their side was that they'll stay off of our land as much as possible when we're in the area and they don't tell anyone about us. Of course, since the boy told you that, then I guess the treaty is now broken. Not that it really matters, though. There are no more wolves to worry about to –“

“You mean you don't know?” I said, shocked. “I would have thought that you would have realized it before.”

“Know what? Realize what?” he asked.

“The wolves are still around. My maker just informed me of that earlier, when I came up here and left the house during the visit that Billy Black and his son inflicted on me,” told him. “There emotions tasted so disgusting, by the way. Anyway, while she didn't actually see one change in front of her, she did notice a wolf appear just moments after one of the guys she was following had disappeared from her sight. She said that it was too closely related that he had to be a shifter.”

I had to admit, as I took in his expression, I would never get tired of shocking it. It was majorly appealing for some reason.

“So, you really didn't know?” I asked. He shook his head, and I frowned, wondering why he hadn't realized it before, while also wondering what had caused the shifting in the first place. Then, I remembered something else that Jacob had mentioned. Well, I remembered two things, actually.

“Why did you think that there were no wolves?” I asked.

“There's been no say about them, at all,” Cedric said. “We had assumed that the last of them had died years ago, which was why we decided to come back here.”

“Well, consider the fact that, based on the legend that I just read, it's a genetic trait, I'd say your evidence is flawed,” I said. “Although, I think I know why you haven't even become suspicious about it.”

“”Why?” he asked.

“Are you and Carlisle aware of the fact that the Quileutes are boycotting the hospital, refusing to go in for treatment because he works there?” I asked. He shook his head again.

“Carlisle's not going to like learning that, if he isn't aware of it already,” Edward said. “I wouldn't be surprised if he is and just hasn't mentioned it. Although, if someone dies because they didn't go in for proper treatment...”

“Then it's the Quileutes own fault, not Carlisle's,” I said firmly. “As mean and cruel as this may sound, they deserve any and all heartache they may receive because their stupid prejudices are more important to them than a person's life. They don't have to listen to what Billy Black – the one who's mainly behind the boycott, according to Jacob – is telling them about doing that, yet they do. Anything happens to them that could have been prevented is their own damn fault. And they have no excuse, either. Even if they want nothing to do with Carlisle, it's not that hard to request another doctor to see to them. That would be a much better option to do instead of boycotting the entire hospital and risking someone dying because of it.”

I could tell that Edward did indeed think that it was cruel – a fact that warmed my heart, as it showed a sign of what a good person he was – but I wasn't going to take back what I thought about it. It was true, in all honesty. I wasn't going to hide it because of it being cruel to say. I also knew that, if Billy attempted to butt into my relationship with Edward – and I got a strong feeling that he would – I would tell him this and threaten to tell my father. They may be friends, but Charlie could do with better ones, ones who didn't let stupid prejudices be higher up than someone's life. I would feel no guilt in breaking up their friendship if it came down to it.

It wasn't right to gamble on a person's life simply because they couldn't look pas their prejudices, wasn't right at all, and I knew that Charlie would agree with me if he knew.

“So, anyway, on a more cheerful topic, what's your stand on books made into movies?” I asked.

 

---

 

I had a hard time not whistling as I skipped down the stairs the next morning, something that Charlie seemed to pick up on immediately.

“You're cheerful this morning,” he commented over breakfast.

“Of course I am,” I said. “It's Friday. And, while I'm a bit nervous, it means that the dance is almost her. Plus, there's no school next week, since its Spring Break, which means a nice week of doing nothing but relaxing. What's not to be cheerful about?”

He laughed as I continued doing my morning things, heading back upstairs to the bathroom to brush my teeth as he left. I tasted as Edward pulled up, just seconds after Charlie had left. Grabbing my bag and heading out, I locked the door and hurried to his car, immediately continuing our discussion that I had started last night. We weren't quite done with the topic yet, tending to go off about how much better this book was over the movie, or which version of the movie was better. We didn't agree on everything about them – partially because my knowledge was pretty limited compared to his – but we did agree on quite a bit as well.

We were just getting into the more modern books and movies, which then started us a talk about all thinks Harry Potter, which we were still talking about when we pulled up to the school. It was taking us so long to talk about because we weren't in agreement on many things about the series, and were trying to change each other's mind about things that had happened in the books – I had the feeling that, once we hit the movies, we'd end up doing the same thing as well.

It wasn't until lunch that we finally decided to just leave the subject alone, though I had managed to change his mind about some things – such as the pairings that the book had ended with, which I had disliked with a passion.

As it was Edward's turn to ask a question, I waited patiently for him to think of one. However, he didn't say anything until we had sat down.

“So, tell me, how many boyfriends did you have back in Phoenix?” he asked. I looked at him, wondering why he was asking that.

“I didn't date,” I said. He looked surprised.

“You mean that you never met anyone you wanted?” he asked in a serious tone, which had me wondering what he was thinking about.

“Not in Phoenix,” I said honestly. His lips pressed in a hard line, giving me the illusion that he wasn't all that happy with my words but his emotions told me the real story – he was beyond please. “Besides,” I continued. “None of the guys actually looked at me that way, either – at least, none of them seemed to. Most of them wanted to sporty blondes who were cheerleaders. Up until I was change, I was no where being one of those – I couldn't walk without tripping over air every few feet. Not many of them seemed to find that endearing.”

“What do you mean that none of them seemed to?” he asked.

“Being able to both taste and hear what they were thinking kind of helped me realize that many of guys actually did seem to have a thing for me,” I said. “Though, I honestly don't know, nor do I believe, that any of them had a thing for me until after my change. I could be wrong, though.”

He frowned, disliking that I'd had quite a few admirers back at my old school, though he had been glad to know that I'd never dated, if not surprised by the fact as well.

We'd been sitting down for a few minutes, him asking all the questions now, wanting to know more about my like in Phoenix, and about the people in my life, such as school friends, friends outside of school, the one grandmother I could remember, Renée – it seemed that he had forgotten our back and forth deal. I didn't mind, though, as it meant that I would get to ask a plethora of questions once he was done. Unfortunately, I apparently would be getting a chance to just yet, for, after I answered his last question, towards the end of lunch, he sighed.

“I should have let you drive yourself today,” he announced.

“Why?” I immediately demanded, disliking what he had just said, as I enjoyed having him chauffeur me to and from school.

“I'm leaving with Alice soon,” he said. I frowned, then sighed.

“Oh,” I said, then shrugged. “I guess I'll be running home today, then.”

“Bella, I'm not going to make you walk or run anywhere,” Edward said, sounding offended that I would dare think he would. “We'll go get your truck, and leave it here for you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Um, no, you're not,” I said. “One, I have the keys to my truck in my possession right now, and I'm not giving them to you, so don't even bother asking. Two, you can't get it here without breaking into it and hot wiring it to start, or using your supernatural abilities to carry and run it here, as you'll damage it if you do the former or be seen if you do the latter. And three, just because I don't like driving fast in a car doesn't mean I don't like to run, and I run a whole lot faster than the truck goes. So, by all that, I think you'll agree with me that it's safe to say that I will be running home.”

He looked displeased, but was unable to argue with my logic, and didn't say anything else about the subject.

“Where are you going, anyway?” I asked.

“Hunting,” he answered. “I probably don't need to do so, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.”

“And Alice is going with you because she's the most supportive, right?” I said, already knowing that it was true. He nodded.

“What time do you think you're going to be back?” I asked, hoping that it wouldn't be too late. The look on his face suggested that my hope wasn't going to happen.

“I don't think I'll be back tonight,” he told me. I deflated slightly. “What time do you want me at your house tomorrow?” he asked. I thought for a moment.

“Think you can try and get there by seven thirty, seven forty-five at the latest?” I said. “Charlie will most likely be gone by that time, and it should also still be cloudy, so there shouldn't be any worry about the sun making an appearance at that time.”

“I'll be there,” he said. Just then, Alice came over, appearing behind Edward in a motion that, had I been human, would have seem instantaneous.

“Hi, Bella,” she said, giving me a smile. Then she turned to Edward. “Ready to go?”

“Nearly,” he said, his voice aloof. “I'll meet you at the car.” It was a clear dismissal, which she seemed to pick up on, for she left without another word, though I could taste her displeasure at having to do so. I just knew that she was most likely yelling at Edward in her mind right now, knowing that he could hear it.

“So, should I say 'have fun' or is that the wrong sentiment?” I asked, deflating a bit more as my own displeasure at being deprived of his company raced through me.

“ 'Have fun' works with pretty much anything,” he said.

“Have fun, then,” I said, my voice glum. I was unable to help it. I didn't want him to leave at all, desiring his continued company.

“I'll try,” he said, and, even though I expected him to move, he didn't. Instead, he was studying my face, which I knew showed the dislike of him leaving on it.

“It seems like it's going to be a long while, doesn't it?” he asked. I nodded. It did seem like the length of time before we saw each other again would be long, especially since I had not only gotten used to his presence at night, but he was also taking the other person I usually talked with at night with him as well.

“I'll be back by tomorrow,” he promised, finally moving as he stood up. I followed him, walking out of the cafeteria with him. Without actually meaning to, our hands connected, and stayed that way up until we got to the parking lot.

“See you tomorrow,” I said, sighing as I let him go and headed towards Biology. It was just like every other class that I had without Edward, ordinary and boring. We were finishing up the movie, and the electricity that had filled the previous two days wasn't there. I still didn't pay attention to the movie, though; instead, I planned on just how I'd get to a secluded spot without being noticed so I could run home. Unfortunately for me, Mike – who seemed to have decided that all my previous warnings meant nothing and that it actually meant that I wanted him to take a more active attempt to get me to be with him – had seen Edward leaving, and I could hear him whispering plans under his breath on how to approach me, planning on offering me a ride while making sure that I couldn't decline.

He was the main reason why I needed to plan on where I could run from to get home.

Thankfully, before he could attempt to implement any of his plans, I was able to make to to Gym without talking to him, and the Coach made everyone change partners for this round, so I was free from his plans then as well. However, unfortunately, my good luck didn't last, for, as I was walking back the locker room, he was able to get to me, grabbing my arm in an attempt to keep me from walking into the locker room. I turned to him, glaring, but he wasn't actually looking at me, looking instead at his feet.

“Hey, Bella,” he said. “I saw that Edward left, and was wondering if you would like a ride back to your house.”

“No, thank you,” I said, wrenching my arm away and preparing to continue walking, but he stepped in front of me.

“But, it's going to start raining soon. You don't want to walk home in the rain, do you?”

“Mike, what makes you think that I don't already have a ride home?” I asked him rhetorically. He wasn't expecting to hear that, shock overcoming him.

“Uh... Sorry. I didn't...I didn't realize...” he said, stumbling over his words as he scratched the back of his head. He didn't move out of my way, though.

“Are you coming to the dance tomorrow?” he asked, clearly in a desperate bid to keep my attention while he had it.

“Yes,” I said. He was about to speak again, his expression relieved, when I continued speaking. “I'm going with Edward.”

His face fell, then, indignation crossed it.

“But you said that you had no plans on going,” he said, sounding accusingly. It seemed that he wasn't happy that I dared to go with someone other than him, a fact that had me rolling my eyes.

“That's because, at the time, I didn't plan on going,” I said. “And, if you'll remember, I did mention as well that I wouldn't go with you anyway, even if I did. Then, I asked Edward after our date, since I found a guy that was actually worth going to the dance with. He said yes.” I explained that slowly, as if I was talking to a small child. “So, I am going, and, before you even ask, no, you're not getting a single dance with me.”

I pushed my way around his stunned body, cursing at him under my breath as I dressed back into my regular clothes. I hurried from the gym, not bothering to wait for the bell to ring. I made it to the trees when it did, thankfully, and I was free to run at the time, as no one could see me. As I got home, the clouds opened up, pouring rain just as I got under the awning. It seemed that I was pretty lucky.

It was rather boring, sitting at home as I was. I'd gotten used to Edward's presence after school, and it was rather unsettling not to have him here with me. I used the time to do the rather massive amount of homework we'd been assigned for that spring break, which didn't take me that long to finish. After doing that, I checked my e-mail, seeing that my mother had sent two within the last few days. I opened the one that had been sent first, laughing over some of the things that my mother had done since her last e-mail. She made mention that they were now in Florida, where Phil was trying to get signed, especially since she mentioned that she loved how it was there.

She then mentioned that, should he not get signed, they'd be heading back to Phoenix, and I got the sense that she was mentioning that as if to say that it would soon be okay for me to come home, forgetting that I was the one who had wanted to leave before they did – they had made their plans after I mentioned that I would be leaving to Forks and Renée could talk me out of doing it. I shook my head when I got to that part, closing the e-mail out as I'd reached the bottom while mentally reminding myself that I would have to mention how I wouldn't be leaving Forks.

The second e-mail had been sent just twenty minutes ago, and my eyes widened as I read it.

Dear Bella,

Guess what? Phil's just been signed, and we're going
to be moving to Jacksonville. You're going to live it
here! It's so sunny, with open skies, unlike it is there
in Forks. And the house we've put an offer in for...
Oh, you're going to love it! It's near the beach, and
it has enough bathrooms that you can have your own.

We plan on heading back to Phoenix in about a week,
as we should know if we'll have the house or not by
then. I'll be calling Charlie tomorrow to let him know
this good news, so you can plan a schedule for when
you should begin packing your things up.

Don't worry about a plane ticket, either. Phil and I
will take care of it.

Can't wait to see you.

Love,
Mom

I had to admit, I was having trouble believing the audacity of my mother's words. Never, not once since coming here, had I given even a hint of my old attitude of not liking it here. In fact, I'd made it clear in previous e-mails that I really did like it here, a fact that had expanded since Edward had started talking to me again. I didn't like the fact that my mother seemed to be ignoring my feeling about this matter, something that I knew I needed to make clear. I quickly pressed the reply button, and began composing my letter to her.

Mom,

I'm not leaving Forks. I actually like it here, as I
mentioned before. It might seem a bit strange to
you that someone would, or that I would change my
mind, but it has happened. I'll talk to Dad when he
gets home about me going down to Phoenix to get
the rest of my things to bring back up here.

Sorry in this news disappoints you, but I wasn't
lying before when mentioning that I liked it here,
and that I didn't want to leave. You shouldn't have
assumed that I wasn't telling the truth, as that is the
message I seemed to have gotten from what you wrote.

Tell Phil that I said congratulations.

Bella

PS: I'm liking it so much here that I'm actually going to go
to a dance tomorrow, with my classmate Edward Cullen.
Hopefully I don't make a fool of myself.

Once that was done, I sighed, rereading it before sending it and turning my computer off. Walking down the stairs, I began going through the cupboards, looking for the ingredients to make something extra special for Charlie, in order to make him more agreeable to letting me go down there and get my things alone. Well, as alone as I could be without a Cullen, for I planned on asking Edward if he would be willing to come and help me out. I wasn't planning on mentioning that to Charlie, though, knowing that he would automatically say no if I did.

Upon discovering that I had the ingredients, I began the process of making Grandma Swan's beef stroganoff, Charlie's favorite dish. I usually avoided making it, as I didn't care for it that much, but I knew that this would put him in a good mood, and would only help me in getting what I wanted. Of course, the fact that I wanted to stay here would probably put him into a good mood all on it's own, but he would probably want to come with me as well, which was the main thing that I was trying to avoid.

I'd honestly rather go alone than with him, especially since I wasn't planning on going a human pace in my packing.

I was just finishing dinner when Charlie walked through the door, and I could taste his appreciation of what I'd made in the form of surprise and happiness as he got a whiff of it.

“Hey, Bells,” he said as he pulled off his gun belt. “Smells good. Is it stroganoff?”

I nodded as I turned off the burner, beginning to dish it out before carrying it to the table. He enjoyed it immensely, going back for seconds and thirds before he was full. It was as he finished up his third bowl and I began cleaning up that I began to talk.

“Ch-Dad,” I said, correcting myself and gaining his attention. “I got an e-mail from Mom today. Apparently, their moving, and I was wondering if, on Sunday, I could drive down to Phoenix to pack up the rest of my things and bring it back here. I mean, next week is spring break, so I wouldn't be missing any school, and this way Mom won't have to do all of the packing alone, as I could begin it, and...” I trailed off as I waited for his answer. He looked very indecisive.

“I don't know, Bella,” he said. “I mean, how are you planning on getting down there, for one, and how much do you plan on bringing back with you? Is Renée going to meet you there, because I don't feel all to comfortable in it just being you alone down there, and, while I could probably get some time off...”

I sighed, thinking for a moment.

“How about this,” I said. “You think about it, and give my an answer Sunday – I'm willing to put off going down there until Monday if you do. Also, I'll ask my friends to see if any of them will be willing to come with me, if only to ease your mind. I'm sure Angela or Alice would come with me...” The last bit was said underneath my breath, and I could tell that he didn't hear it.

I finished with the cleaning, then, heading up the stairs while thinking. Truthfully, I really didn't care what his answer was. To me, it didn't matter if he said no. I would still go down there, with or without his permission. After all, there were a few things I didn't want my mother running into while packing my room back at that house, things that wouldn't be good for her to see. I didn't need her freaking out of me should she run into them.

In my room, I put on some pajamas, not planning on going out, and settled myself into bed, prepared for a very boring night. I was glad, as I grabbed one of my favorite books, that I would have something worth reading while I waited for the morning to come.