Prey and Predator: Which One is Who?

by Azanigin

Just like there's a thin line between love and hate, there is also a thin blurred line between prey and predator. This isn't common, perhaps we are insane for tempting our nature like this. But this has to work, afterall our souls are made for each other.

1. Arrival till Departure

Disclaimer: All the ideas of Twilight and the series belong to S. Meyer, so don't sue ;)

Please read and consider what I wrote at the last part of my profile.

Chapter 1: Arrival to Departure

BPOV

Have you ever come to a stop and have your whole life slamming at the front of your mind and no, not while your about to die. I'm talking about realizing how your whole existence is such a disarray and full of useless achievements. I've been doing that a lot lately. Hmm no, actually I have been doing this for the past forty years, that was when my conscious started to came alive in my head.

I looked at my watch, fifteen minutes till seven ante meridiem, err…I mean 6:45am. I think everything just have to be abbreviated these days! I'm lucky no one asks me the time, should get used to modern lingo even in my own head just in case of slip of a tongue. Well at least now, I do not speak like I did during my time period. My god, no one here would understand me if I do that.

I have fifteen minutes till purgatory, also known as high school, begins. I have been sitting here on top of Forks High School's roof since five in the morn. Fifteen minutes and my car is the only one in the student parking lot. Is arriving fashionably late in vogue here? Maybe they're a bunch of procrastinators and will come flooding through the parking lot five minutes till the first bell. The faculty parking lot on the other side of the building is almost full. Contradictory to popular belief, some people do not actually come to school very early because they are excited for their first day; I for one just have…a lot of free time.

Listening closely, I can hear a car approaching unusually fast toward the school's student parking lot; maybe I'm not the only one who loves driving like a maniac on this pathetic excuse of a town. Better go into my car before more students arrive, it would look normal that way, I think. Note to self, never ever take more than a decade of "vacation" from society again then impulsively decide to go to school without any idea of acceptably modern social interactions.

Jumping from the roof, I landed in silence, not even a small thud on the earth is heard and I smiled in satisfactory. I went in my car and sat myself then turned on some Debussy just in time as the fast car made the turn into the lot. I closed my eyes and listened as the vehicle parked about three spaces from my left. I can also hear other cars approaching from a distance, though not even remotely as fast as the one near me.

I realize there are a couple of eyes staring at me or rather at my car since it's darkly tinted and I cursed myself. I knew I should have gotten a less ostentatious car, especially after deciding to park my pathetic excuse of a soul to this small humdrum town. Oh well, just going to stick to the cover story, came from a wealthy family and had been allowed to live on my own, practically emancipated.

Yeah…that would explain my shiny black Bugatti Veyron, even that sounds so faked in my mind. But I love this baby so much, I remember seeing it at first on TV and I knew I had to have it! It suits my need for speed. On a plus side with a name like Bella or any name that starts with a B, you would want a car that wouldn't be as it is without the elegantly placed letter at the back, front and steering wheel.

It seems like the rest of the students arrived already during my mental conversation with myself. I should really try to reduce that to a minimum because then I would have noticed that more than half the student body is staring at my car and I should have got out before they arrived to lessen the attention on me. Too late for that, better face the music now. I took my keys out of the ignition, pocketed it, bowed my head to hide my face behind my hair and opened the door.

All these staring are making me self conscious, despite me being an attention lure by nature, I never got used to or comfortable with it. I do not need to, my monster enjoy it too much as it is. I sighed and that's when I smelt them. I look through the curtain that is my hair at the direction of the five delicious mouth watering scents, they are standing next to a silver Volvo. I quickly averted my gaze forward, continuing my path towards the school door.

I curse myself for not hunting this week. I know I have more than enough control even when I'm this thirsty but it still safer to be cautious. It's also a good thing that the wind isn't blowing towards me or else I may be tempted to get overly "friendly" to one of them. My perfect photographic mind quickly brought forward the image of them in front of my mind and singled out the bronze haired Adonis. Yes, I definitely wouldn't mind getting "friendly" with him. As quickly as that thought process came I just as quickly obliterated it. My monster is enjoying that thought too much for my liking. Though, at the back of my mind something just tells me he looks very familiar but for the life of me can not pin point an identity. Maybe he just has that "kind of face" that looks familiar but no connection like some people.

'Keep it together Bella, just keep walking.'

I hope none of them are in any of my lessons. I really do not wish to be tempted and tortured for the rest of the school year by their sweet aroma.

I can feel their curious gazes along with the rest of the students who aren't gawking at my car, on me.

'Let them stare, there is nothing for them to be suspicious about.'

To them, I look and smell human, albeit a very attractive and intoxicating human. Appearances, they should know a thing or two about it. All of our allure is for our preys, to lure them, entice them, and when the time is right, we go for the kill. I should stop this train of thought; I can feel my adrenaline starting up.

Looking up, I brought forth my superb acting skills for the humans and for the supernatural/mythical creatures outside at the parking lot, if I happen to land myself in a situation where I have to interact with them. I should win a Grammy/Oscar thingies for this, whatever the hell they give out for superb acting. Then again, those five can probably give me a run for my money on acting since they look like they do this more often than I do. Another note to self, buy the "in" magazines and watch variety of shows that are "cool" on TV after school.

Those vampires look more like a loving family than a systematic coven which isn't very far fetched since considering the color of their eyes, they feed on animals. I heard they attain their humanity that way, for vampires at least. Although I was never human in the first place, I like to think that I have humanity.

I suppose I wouldn't know anything about close relationship with family, I have not always been alone but for the past sixty one years there were only rare passing acquaintances. Well I do have family but we only end up crossing each others paths at least once every decade or two and occasional phone calls. And when we do meet, it's either someone has a problem that we as a family have to decide how best to solve it or just because we felt like dropping by. We can only be as a family for such little time but we get what we can take. It is better this way for a few reasons. First, our diet especially mine is too high end that we need to live separately to avoid suspicion. Second, I am too dangerous even for the vampires, who consider themselves at the top of the food chain and best predator on earth.

'Humph, they wish!'

Note to self; bring no harm to the family of vampires. I get the feeling I'll have vast amount of self notes by the end of the day.

Greeting the elderly lady at the front desk a good morning, I ask for my class schedule. Mrs. Cope, she said her name is, smiled at me and asked for my name.

"Isabella Marie Swan Carreau, madam"

Mrs. Cope looked at me funny briefly before continuing her kind smile and retrieves the necessary items for me.

'Hmm strange. Why did she give me that look? Does no one ever say their full name anymore when introducing themselves? Or maybe it is because I said madam. I don't think young adolescent utter appropriate title to their elders anymore either.' Note to self: Throughout the day, absorb all information on interactions of teenagers towards each other and to their elders.

"Here you go dear, your class schedule, a map of the school and this slip is to be signed by all your teachers then bring it to me before you go home" she said while continuing to give me her kind smile.

"Thank you, madam. Until this after noon then." I gave a slight nod of my head forward and gave her a charming smile while gauging her reaction. Those two sentences I uttered, made her smile more widely at me. I guess no one believe proper courtesy as "cool" these days.

I turned on my heels and headed out of the office. Note to self: give proper and polite courtesy to people who are genuinely nice, might pay off during the course of the year. Quickly scanning my schedule, I internally groan. These classes are very degrading for me. Hopefully my instructors won't resent me for my knowledge if they ever caught on that they cannot really teach me anything new or surprise me by asking difficult questions. I will not lower my intelligence by "dumbing it down", since I am not going to show off either.

I quickly scan the map of the school and promptly threw it at a waste bin, then repeated the action with my class schedule. I proceed to my first class when a dark haired boy with glasses intercepted and looking too eagerly at me for my liking.

"Hi, my name is Yorkie. Eric Yorkie, you must be Isabella Swan. Pleasure to meet you."

Hmm, I think he's imitating an actor from a movie, this person name James Bond I saw a preview of it on a commercial some years ago. I cocked my head to the side, he has not met me yet, and he's supposed to say the last greeting after I introduced myself. What is wrong with the children these days? More importantly what are they teaching them now?

"Actually, it's Carreau. Swan is my middle name. Please call me Bella and it is nice to meet you" I side step him and continued on my way.

Yes, technically Swan is my last name but I prefer to use my mother's maiden name instead, it fits my being. Put it in demon terms and its meaning is heartlessness or mercilessness, I do not like to think of myself as heartless, though some may argue differently, but I can be unmerciful. I hope that makes some sort of sense.

"Do you need any help around the school?" he asked hopefully. Too hopeful.

My eyes fleetingly glance at the waste bin and answered back. "No thank you got it all in my head."

I had to correct everyone to call me Bella, it's getting annoying. At least no one says my last name too; I doubt they will get that one right either. The first four of my classes went by fairly quick though not quick enough for me since I seem to have caught unwanted fishes along the way. I had been unfortunate enough to meet this blond chatterbox named Jessica Stanley and the puppy named Mike Newton. Then there's this one named Lauren that seems like a floozy who hates me for all the attention I'm getting. Not to mention more than half the male population are acting like I'm releasing vast amounts of pheromones and I'm not even on my "hunt mood"! Again, what is wrong with these children?! Maybe over the years humans "evolved" and causes their hormones to sky rocket more than what is considered normal. On a brighter note, I met this nice young lady named Angela Weber and I can tell she is genuine.

Now here I am at a lunch line looking at the foods that are to be my props and I really wonder if somehow during my seclusion, I was very much immersed in my mind that I failed to notice that the world was over ruled by beings from another planet. The only things I recognize in front of me are pizza and salad…which is in a small cup! I am very convinced that the rest of these stuff they call food are neither healthy nor edible.

After grabbing a slice of pizza and small portion of salad I paid for my lunch and went to the table which I was invited to sit. And of-course it's with Ms. Chatty, the lost puppy, the floozy, the Bond kid and the rest of their friends. On previous schools, I sat by myself since humans and their instinct will tell them to shy away from me, but as I said before...What is wrong with these children? Or maybe it's the whole town?

'Good gracious! I hope not! I do not wish nosy people in my life.'

As I sit down, I notice that the only sunshine I see at the table is Angela and this smitten young man named Ben Chaney. His affection and intentions towards her are pure, that I can tell. I decided that I will play match maker and help them, maybe it's the one good deed I'll be able to make this year. I'm also planning to ditch this table tomorrow and sit on my own table, maybe I can invite Angela and Ben too since I'm sure he'll follow her. It is quite obvious that she is not perfectly comfortable sitting here with the shallow gene pools.

The puppy is talking about an outing at La Push sometime in the near future when the weather would be calm. Now I know what else I am to do after school today! Note to self: make a believable excuse to not go to that beach. I know I am not exactly an enemy of the wolf shape shifter tribe here and they wouldn't suspect what I am but I still do not like their scents. I pass through there undetected more than half of a century ago and gathered enough information about them. I did not detect vampires living here back then so I wonder if this is the first time they have been here.

"Bella, aren't you going to eat?" asked chatty.

I realize I haven't been doing my part as a human and promptly forked a salad and put it in my mouth.

"I always have a huge breakfast every morning." Hopefully that will explain my lack of interest on food everyday.

Unlike vampires, food doesn't actually bother my senses but I really do need to chuck them back up later on. At the moment, I do not have a working digestive system and I am sure it is going to stay that way for a very long time due to my solitude, though there was that one time about a century or so ago. I have a semi functioning digestive system but it only occur during err... a special condition. However, my umm... excretory system is virtually non existent so food has to go back up until my body is in that special stage.

I sighed and for the second time today, caught the delicious scents. I inhaled the scents and found their location. Their table is behind me, at the corner, far back from the rest of the students. I looked at their table and...Oh that is unusual. The pixie like girl and the Adonis seems to be having a conversation but no one is saying anything. Hmm...I believe Ms. Chatty will be useful at this very moment. I pretended to be looking around the cafeteria and landed my gaze on the vampires. I turned to Chatty and asked.

"Who are they?" nodding my head towards the vampire family.

She giggled and replied "Those are the Cullen and Hale twins and they are like together-together. Dr. Cullen is like they're father slash matchmaker."

There are seven of them?! And it seems like their patriarch and leader is a doctor to boot. What a control he must have! This information made me hopeful. There are seven of them in one area without suspicions though being vegetarians helps a great deal. There are nine members in my family including me. It will take some planning around our diets but surely we can work something out. Note to self: call for a family meeting soon and discuss possibility of cohabitating.

"…I think they adopted them because Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids."

'Way to show your true colors Chatty. As if the woman not being able to have children, though her being a vampire largely play a role in that, can lessen her kindness for taking those "children" in her home.'

"Which one is who?" I turned my head towards their table slightly and absorbing their image and burning it to my mind.

"The big brawny one is Emmett Cullen, he's with the blonde girl Rosalie Hale. The small spiky haired girl is Alice Cullen; she's with the blonde boy who looks like he's in pain Jasper Hale."

As she started explaining, the Adonis turned and caught my gaze and I quickly turned my attention back to Chatty. I have a very good idea as to why this Jasper is in pain, he is most likely new to the "vegetarian" diet than his siblings. I pretended to study them once I felt the Adonis' eyes were back looking at his siblings. I then honed my senses to their table and picked up the Adonis' voice, oh...what a very alluring sound it is. There it is again that annoying feeling that is telling me that I should somehow know the Greek god.

"Jessica Stanley is giving the new Swan girl all the dirty laundry on the Cullen Clan." I blanched at that, why can't these people ever get my last name right? Do I have to stop saying Swan for them to actually acknowledge my last name?

"Rather unimaginative actually. Just the barest hint of scandal. Not an ounce of horror. I'm a little disappointed."

What? I'm very much sure no one said anything to warrant those statements from him. I would know, my senses are far greater than theirs! Feeling my gaze on him, he looked up directly towards my eyes. He looks so concentrated, frustrated even as if he cannot solve a simple puzzle. Such an intense gaze.

'Oh my, I swoon to thee.'

His gaze is getting down right frustrating as time goes by. I felt a slight pressure on my mind. My brain already processed what is going on in less than a second. '

Of-course some vampires have gifts; it seems that the Adonis is a mind reader. I wonder if anyone else in their family has a gift."

Oh! Well this day is full of coincidences. 'I bet you want to read my mind my good sir. Try as you might, you will not be able to penetrate my shield. So I do apologize for that'

"Err...I meant all of them not just the pairs. Who is the bronze haired one?" He is very interesting, for the first time in my long life, I am fascinated of someone that I do not intend to harm and I do not know the reason as to why that is.

Chatty gave me a smug look. "That's Edward Cullen. Totally gorgeous!"

'But of-course he is. Oh but his beauty can kill you lil lass. Edward, an elegant name, such a fitting name for one such as him.'

"...but apparently no one here is good enough for him so don't even bother."

'Of-course not, I doubt one such as his caliber will want liaison with children. I wonder when he turned you away deary.' I do not know why I regard him at such a high level when I do not even know him. This attraction is unusual for me, an attraction towards what my nature consider as prey. Annoying familiar feeling is back again...ugh make it go away. I have perfect memory, so if I met him I should know, damn it!

"Not even going to think about it" I replied, not really sure if I can actually keep up to that statement.

"Shall we?" my perfect hearing easily picked up Rosalie's voice. All of them rose from their chairs with grace and practically glided towards the door leading outside.

"So is the new girl scared of us yet?" Emmett asked. Edward shrugged before going outside too.

I notice the other students are preparing to leave the cafeteria too, well I guess it's time to face my last two classes. With my luck or lack thereof, at least one annoying person is going to be in those classes.

Upon entering the Biology classroom and heading towards the teacher to hand my slip to be signed, I notice the lost puppy that was trailing behind me took a seat near the far back of the room. I noted in satisfaction that he already have a lab partner.

The teacher, Mr. Banner, gave back my slip and told me to sit at an available chair. So who is the unfortunate soul that will suffer uneasiness by being my partner and sitting next to me for the rest of the year, I wonder. I scanned the room and landed on a vacant chair next to...oh dear me! Perhaps my partner will not be the only one going to suffer for the rest of the year, but me as well. Because the chair I am to be assigned is next to the Adonis himself, also known as Edward Cullen.

I took a large gulp of breath before heading towards my chair, hoping I do not need to talk for the remainder of the class. I have to move my shoulders up and down slightly and steadily to give the impression that I am breathing. My heart always beat no matter what; it just doesn't do anything else other than that, so I do not have to worry about Edward questioning my breathing act.

Perhaps I should take in a breath just to get a feel of his scent; I don't think it wise to do this acting for the rest of the year. We are bound to talk to each other about our lab work during the course of the year. I open my mouth by a centimeter and breathed in just as much in. His scent filled my olfactory senses.

'No, no, no!!! This cannot be happening!'

I instantly closed my mouth and halted my taste and smell sensors. His scent is heavenly!!! Why can I hear his glorious venom flowing beneath his granite skin? It's not helping my control at all!

I glance at him at the same time he did and my eyes widen and he quickly looked forward again.

He is having the same control issues as I do. He can not shut down his senses like I do and I doubt all the mental voices in his head is helping his concentration. I contemplated on blocking everyone's mind within my range which is nine miles but there is a huge risk factor that he will notice even if he is somewhat preoccupied at the moment. Stopping my heart from beating is too noticeable too since his senses are no doubt in tune with everything related to my "blood".

My hearing is still picking up the rush of venom in his mouth and I felt myself glare at him from the amount of control I am exerting from my conscious and body. I shut my hearing sensory too.

'Control yourself Bella! You cannot attack him, he has a family. You cannot take him away from them. You will not take their happiness. You promised yourself earlier that you will not bring any harm to them.'

I keep repeating this mantra over and over my head all the while struggling to steer my head to face the front of the class room. I see his eyes quickly dart at the sides toward me then returning to their original position. I can only guess that he find it peculiar that I, a human-to his eyes at least- is glaring at him with such force.

It seems a lifetime till the bell finally rang. He bolted out of his sit and sprinted out of the class rigidly. As I rose from my chair and prepare to go to my next class, I let all my senses open again. Once far enough from the room, I breathed a sigh of relief. I honed my senses around the school's perimeter and found Edward inside his car. Maybe I can ask to switch class when I return my slip back.

"So did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or something?" Great, the lost puppy is back at my side.

"The guy I was sitting next to? I didn't notice anything but maybe he's having a bad day."

Apparently we have physical education together, maybe I can pretend to be a bit terrible at sport and "accidentally" hit him with the balls. Maybe that will turn him off and leave me alone. Reasonably, I know that wouldn't work but a woman can only hope.

I got out of the gymnasium early to turn in my slip to Mrs. Cope. The only upside of that class was the excuse of being clumsy and able to hit annoying people. As I near the main office, I sense Edward in there talking to Mrs. Cope. I stopped right outside the door, not wanting to be trapped in a small closed off room as his scent.

Turns out we are having the same idea of switching out of Biology class. It seems there is no way to switch out of that class and he is already dazzling her as it is. Before I can react a girl went past me and opened the door undoubtedly bringing my scent inside. I see Edward tensed up and quickly reply to Mrs. Cope.

"Never mind then, I can see that it is impossible. Thank you for your help."

He turned abruptly and without breathing, opened the door and hurried away like I'm the plague. To him, I probably am. Actually, I know I am. I greeted Mrs. Cope and gave her the slip. She smile kindly at me and wished me a good day, I returned the gesture and went out towards the parking lot. As I got out of the school doors, I see the silver Volvo speeding out of the lot.

I sigh and hang my head low. I pity the Greek god, his struggle is all for naught. He is not a danger to me; I am a danger to him. His reaction is due to one of my deadly arsenal, it was not a true blood lust on his part. I sigh again; I really wanted to do my entire self note for today. I guess I am going to give myself the last note for today, something I will be able to do.

Note to self: I know what I must do, I must leave.

End Chapter One

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