If I touch a burning candle I can feel no pain
If you cut me with a knife it's still the same
And I know her heart is beating
And I know that I am dead
Yet the pain here that I feel
Try and tell me it's not real
For it seems that I still have a tear to shed

Tim Burton's "The Corpse Bride"

"Alice," I groaned to my adopted sister as she pulled my by the arm towards the dress salon. "I don't want, or need, to do this!"

"Yes you do!" She insisted for, what seemed to be, the tenth time. "You can't go to your sister's wedding wearing your usual plaid shirt and jeans."

"Hey!" I snapped. "Do not be mocking my look. It's a classic." Alice snorted and opened the door of the store, pushing me in first. The smell of expensive dresses filled my nose and made me cringe.

"Don't worry," Bella whispered in my ear as Alice went to get someone, "It's not that bad."

"Yeah, says you!" I laughed turning towards her. She smiled at me and I pulled her into a tight hug- making sure not too squeeze too tight.

I could feel her body chuckle in amusement. "What is this? The 'don't touch me' Briana is giving me a hug?"

I smiled along with her and gave her a small squeeze before letting go. "I just can't believe that you're going to be married! And to Edweird." I couldn't help the snort that came from me, imagining the vampire my sister fell madly in love with waiting at the end of the altar. He definitely had grown to be like an older brother to me which meant that I could make fun of him endlessly.

Bella sighed and rolled her eyes. "His name's Edward." She said his name out slowly as if she were talking to a child. She used that voice on me a lot.

"I know, obviously. Edweird just suits him better. I mean, he did confess to watching you while you slept."

Bella sighed, almost dreamily. "That's not weird, it's sweet."

I rolled my eyes and murmured, "Delusional" when Alice called my name- rather impatiently I may add.

"Briana Swan! Get your butt into these dresses right now!"

"God, calm down!" I yelled back at her, which only got me a stern look in return.

"It will be over soon." Bella reassured me and pushed me towards the little pixie.

"Okay, I'm coming!" I quickened my pace, grabbing onto the dresses that she held out for me to try on. Mind as well gets this over with.

Closing the changing door behind me, I hung up the dresses on hangers before taking a step back and observing the choices before me. Oh, great. There were five dress choices- nothing stood out to me, really. One was bright red. No, thank you- too bright, I do not want to be noticed. Yellow, with lace. That is just stupid because, again, it is too bright and obnoxious. The light blue one would be alright- if it wasn't adorned with stupid designs of roses. White was not in the question- I am not the bride, my sister is. The last one was a dark blue- simple, but… I just do not want to do this right now.

"Alice!" I rubbed my eyes with my hands. I now I couldn't feel physically tired anymore, but shopping was still the thing that I hated to do, "Can't I just get a black dress?"

"It is a wedding, not a funeral."

"Fine!"

I heard Bella chuckle and allowed myself to smile. At least a good thing that came out of this shopping trip was that Bella was getting at least some amusement. She had been looking nervous for the past weeks, waiting for the day next week when she was to marry Edwei- Edward.

I decided to try the dark blue one- just because it was closer to black and, I would never admit it to her, but I did like it. Bracing myself as I put the blue silk over my head, I basically catapulted myself out the door- pushing it with force and keeping my eyes closed. I really did not want to see what kind of expressions were on my sister's faces.

Silence. That was it. No one spoke, no one made a sound. The only sound made was a small gasp from the sales woman.

"For goodness sake, open your eyes!" Alice exclaimed. I could basically hear her smile. "You look amazing!"

When I opened them, my eyes grew wide. Now, I had gotten used to the whole "beautiful qualities", or better yet, the features that were merely advanced, when one became a vampire, but I looked like a completely different person. I didn't know what to do as Alice came over to me and took my hair out of my ponytail, letting my dark brown hair (just a shade darker than Bella's) just fall by itself. The usual waves in my hair that took me ages to manage just seemed to hang perfectly. My ivory pale face was such a contrast to the simple blue dress. It had large straps and it was just to my knee. It was simple- just like I like it, but it somehow was gorgeous.

"You look beautiful!" Bella told me quietly as she made her way beside me placing a hand on my shoulder. I smiled at her kindness before my face fell into a frown as the salesperson brought over another woman holding a measuring tape.

"Oh no." I inwardly groaned as I realized that they had to make some adjustments.

"You look positively grand, my child." The woman with the overly-large glasses said and instructed me to put my arms out.

I watched in the mirror as Alice and Bella lounged on the couch, chatting away about the wedding. They were watching me with excited eyes.

"Guys, please, can you not watch me?"

Alice rolled her eyes and was about to protest, but thank god I have a sister who has almost the same mind set as me about shopping.

"Sure, Brie. We'll be at the book store down the street, all right? Just come when you're done!"

I smiled in thanks and Bella led the fiery little pixie out of the store- her protests still heard outside.

Chuckling to myself, I realized that the seamstress was looking at the door they just went out of with an uneasy expression.

"Excuse me, you alright?" She looked back towards me with narrowed eyes and stood up from her crouch. I made to come down towards her, but she held up a hand as if to stop me.

"I know what you are." She stated plainly- accusingly.

My body went rigid in shock as I realized that she had just mouthed the words, "cold-blood".

"Listen," I spoke carefully, seeing the fear starting to creep into her eyes, "I am not going to hurt you. I live peacefully and I don't bring any harm to others."

Her eyes were still narrowed, but realization seemed to dawn on her. Taking off her glasses, she cautiously sat down- scrutinizing me with large, brown eyes.

"How do you do it?" That question took me off guard. Out of everything that I was expecting (one was, of course, her running around screaming), that question did not make sense. She obviously had heard tribe stories about my 'kind', but she didn't seem to spit on me. She was genuinely curious.

"How do I do what?" Again, I treaded through my words carefully- almost as if thinking that if I moved too much she would go crazy.

"Not grow up? I know that some of the tribe can be immortal, but they are still able to do things."

I wanted to laugh for some reason. "Things?"

"Yes. Go to college, have a mate, start a family…." She then grew angry, violently standing up and walking towards me. "You are dangerous-"

"Whoa, calm down…" I tried to reason with her. It was like a switch just went off in her. I've heard about the stories about the tribe and things- and it was like all of that hatred from what vampires did in that time was coming through her. A small girl with a measuring tape in her hand. And where did the other girl go…

"Your kind is not natural. You probably wanted this to happen…"

"Wait just a minute!" I bellowed, not expecting my voice to sound so defensive. "I did not ask for this, and I don't know who would ask for this life! I was attacked and now I must live with the consequence of being the same disgusting species as the man who did this to me!"

She stared at me with pity. PITY. She had the nerve to look down on me when I could easily snap her neck in two…. Calm down, Brie. Please. I gripped my head in my hands, tearing at the roots of my hair as the night came back to me.

Just even remembering it sent an involuntary chill up my spine. The sickening crack of Bella's leg breaking into two by the same man that sunk his teeth into my neck as I tried to save her. I would do anything for my sister. She is my best friend. But that night, I had made a decision that took a toll on my life. When we were both bitten—only one of us could make it. They couldn't take the venom out of both of us- it would take too much time. So I told them to let me go.

The worst part was the fire. Not the one that they burned James in, but the one that spread through my body. I could feel the ache in my bones, muscles—but the worst was the realization that my life would change forever. It was a feeling that made me feel as though I was so vulnerable and weak…

I shook my head, taking me out of my thoughts to see the seamstress was still staring at me. STARING at ME. Her head was tilted to the side, exposing her neck… oh, god. Not now. Please, not now. I was still a fairly new vampire and my skills for self-control were fairly good, but could still use some work. I finally became aware of the sweet smell of her blood- hearing it pump through her veins… Maybe if I told her that she would stop looking at me.

I had to get out of here. Damn it… why did this make me so mad? I've been handling everything so well!

"I have to go." I stated and quickly ran into the changing stall, slamming the door shut behind me. I leant my head against the door and took in a large breath. Not that I needed too, but because it seemed like a normal human thing to do. I am not unnatural. I am not dangerous.

You just threatened to break her neck in two. An annoying voice- some claim it's a conscious, but I beg to differ- reminded me in my head.

I never threatened; I just said that I could. I tried to say back, but as I pulled the dark blue silk over my head, everything dawned on me.

Stuck at fifteen. That was the thought that was painfully engraved into my mind as I changed into my jeans and plaid shirt. Staring at myself in the mirror I realized that I did look strange. I looked as though I was out of place- I was unnatural. I could only pretend to be human for so long before I broke.

My eyes felt extremely heavy and were stinging. I should be crying now, but I couldn't. I could never be the age to get a driver's license, I could never grow old, never be allowed to be in a club… but those were stupid things. Those didn't really catch my attention. The things about my future did. I would never have a 'mate' and I would never have children. No one would believe it, but I did want that. I wanted to have a child that was from me—someone to care for. As well, I will never have what Bella has. She has someone who loves her endlessly. Rosalie has Emmett. Alice has Jasper. Carlisle has Esme. Edward has Bella. I will have no one.

Damn it! I sound like a stupid girl, crying over the boy that hasn't come along yet. Why am I still in the changing room? Why is my mind all over the place!

I just feel like breaking down and crying…. Crying…. Crying…

I realized that my eyes were extremely heavy and were stinging. It quickly dawned on me that I should be crying now, but I couldn't. I had no tears to shed.