I squish the empty pouch in my fist and carelessly through it behind me. I know it will go land in the fire; I don't even have to look. I have to destroy the evidence from my 'vegetarian' family.
I exhale, unsatisfied. Stale blood bags from the hospitals are never as good as the real thing. Why would they keep them in the fridge anyway? Everyone knows blood is better served warm. Or coming straight from the vein itself.
Yeah, I'm that guy. The vampire guy. Sorry to spoil it for you. And yes, she's that girl. You know, the one that's about move here from Phoenix. I saw my sister, well, see her coming. She's expected to start school today. I also saw Alice thinking about how we must be made for each other, if she's seen her in one of her visions. God, I could puke if I could.
After my so-called breakfast, I got in my car to head off to school. My Volvo. Because every teenager owns a Volvo. High school is one of my many tedious day-to-day activities I have to do to keep up my family's charade of human life. What even is the point of living forever if I have to attend high school over and over again? This really is a living hell. Or not living? I don't know anymore.
I see a rusty heap next to my usual parking spot. Time to find a new parking spot I guess, no way am I parking next to that old thing. I park in the back corner of the high school car park, and take a sip from my drink bottle. Opaque of course, I guess if students saw my guzzling red liquid would kind of give up the charade.
I head straight to class, to get away from students gushing thoughts about this new girl. God, today is going to be insufferable. It's amazing how quickly English classes go when you've been alive for 106 years. And it's amazing how much the material doesn't change. I've probably written at least 7 reports on the Great Gatsby. So far.
As the bell rings, I make my way to the cafeteria to sit with my tray of food, only to pointlessly pick at it, and throw it out later. I sit with my family, who also do this ridiculous lunch time ritual. The endless dribble about the new girl bombards my brain, and I roll my eyes, resting to stare aimlessly ahead.
I get that uneasy feeling I get when someone is staring at me; when we first moved to Forks, it happened a lot, but not so much now. I graze my eyes over the crowd to find who it is, and of course, it's her. The new girl.
She stares shamelessly at me, her face a lot more bland than the images that popped up in the male student body's minds.
As I make eye contact, I realise something. I can't hear her. Is this a temporary thing that goes with the blank expression on her face or all the time? She eventually blushed, an unflattering crimson swelling over her face, and ducks her head under her mop of brown hair.
Although I can't hear her thoughts, I can hear her ask the rather annoying girl next to her, and I tune out just after 'They're the Cullens'.
I don't need to hear this over dramatic explanation of my family, I've heard it enough, we all have. I know the others are thinking the same thing, as they start some innocuous conversation about homework on the first day back.
The bell rings for class, and I head my way to biology after a fulfilling lunch of, oh wait, nothing. I sit on the empty table I usually do, away from the horrendously stupid thoughts of the other students.
I guess I can't blame them; they haven't all taken this class as much as I have, but it gets tiring listening to it. As class is about to start, she walks in. Of course. Oh and of course, the only seat available is next to me. She notices this about a minute after me, scanning the room with a vacant look in her eyes.
She stumbles over her feet as she makes her way over to me, and I inwardly groan. This is the girl my sister believes is going to make me turn into some love smitten fool? Right.
She takes the chair next to me, miraculously without knocking it over. As she sits down, her hair flicks out, sending a waft of air my way. I go rigid. Despite her ordinary looks and clumsiness, she smells incredible. Her artificial strawberry flavoured shampoo is the first thing that hits me, but then the sweet smell of blood, with an underlying scent of desperation hits me, fills me, intoxicates me. I inconspicuously edge away from her, knowing if I get too close, I may get to have lunch after all.
A flash of worry crosses her face, as she sees the way I'm looking at her. I can't help it, she would definitely make up for the abysmal breakfast from this morning.
I see her try to hide the fact that she's sniffing her hair. Maybe I can't read her mind because I can read her like a book. She must think she smells bad, in spite of my moving away.
The class went absurdly long, especially for me. Luckily the material was stuff I knew back to front, and more time to focus on not ripping out the new girl's jugular.
I rise from my seat as soon as the bell rings, heading straight to the administration office, with the intention of changing classes from her. As delicious as she smells, I can't have myself salivating every time I sit down to biology. And I can't ruin my parents reputation; after all, they did save me and take me in. And it could possibly be awkward when they take her to the hospital only to tell the doctor that his son went on a crazy rampage and tore her throat out during genetics revision.
As I stand at the desk, the lady repeatedly tells me my timetable will not allow it for me to change classes. I argue with her, furious. I run my hand through my hair and look around, calming myself down. When I see her standing there, mud brown eyes staring at me, I mutter to the lady telling her to forget it, and brush past the new girl. I could smell the fear on her; hear her fingers tremble around her books.
I didn't go to school the next day. Or the next. I didn't go until the next week, after I'd been off hunting with Emmett; I tore through skins of several mountain lions, imagining each to be the new girl, to try and get the thought out of my head before I even considered going back to school.
I thought it had worked, until I walked into the cafeteria and her scent hit me like a brick wall. Or I assume; brick walls always seem to bring the downfall of humans when they hit one.
Her aroma overwhelmed me, and followed me until I sat down with my family. It clouded my every thought; I didn't even hear the greetings that met me as I sat down with my tray of cafeteria food.
The only way I can get her out of my head is if I… well, taste her I guess. I think of how I can lure her away, and make her death look accidental and I push my food around the plate. I carefully don't put any plans into place; as soon as I do, I know my sister will see it, so I keep it hypothetical for now.
I catch her staring at me again in the lunch room, as I thoughtfully plan draining her. A smirk plays on my lips as I realise how intrigued she is in me. As they all were originally. But this time, I'll give her something to fulfil that curiosity, and she will give me something to fulfil mine.
I stroll to biology, passing her as I make my way through the cafeteria. I give her the tiniest of nods, and I see her tense up. God, this is going to be easy.
When she eventually makes it to class, I see a baby-faced boy give her a farewell at the door, and she enters the room. She makes her way to my table, eyes darting hesitantly toward me.
At least she has her wits about her to be scared. Most of her kind just sees a brooding, handsome guy. Or so I hear in their thoughts. I mentally puke at the thought.
I greet her with a clear and controlled hello. I don't want to appear too excited at the prospect of drinking the blood that I can hear pulsing around her body.
We converse, and she tells me her life story, I nod with the upmost attention, and ask questions at the appropriate times, but what I really want to ask is why she has even bothered living such a dreary life? I guess I'll be putting her out of her misery. And her mother's too, evidently.
Throughout her tedious ramblings, interrupted many times by her stuttering, her scent became more obvious, as she became more comfortable, leaning in to speak directly with me.
I clench my hand around the edge of the table and lean away, to resist the temptation of her blood.
When the bell rings, she leaves first, and I don't let go of the table until she leaves. Grooves from my hand indent the table, and I discreetly try to rub them out, sanding it down to a less noticeable curve on the table.
The next day it snowed. I put chains on my tires, the roads will be slippery. I've been driving long enough to handle a car on slippery roads, but my father insisted I put them on to fit in. I drive to school, park my car and start pulling out my books. I see the new girl across the lot, talking to another indistinguishable girl of her age.
Just as I shut my car door and lock it, I hear a screech of tires, and see a blue van heading in her direction. If she gets crushed by that van, blood will be spilt and I cannot afford to go on a blood drinking rampage in the middle of a school parking lot.
I sprint over to the girls, and crouch defensively in front of her as the van spins towards us, I instinctively put my hands up to stop it. With a screech of crunching metal, the van stops in front of me, and I leave dents where my hands were held out. All this happened in a matter of ten seconds.
I remove myself from between the girl and the van, before I can be questioned; I see her mouth move silently with unformed words as she stares at me. Emergency medical technicians and Bella's father arrives, and we all are escorted to the hospital.
As we arrive and the situation is explained, my father gives me a quick but significant glare before giving the three of us a check-up.
I decide to take the rest of the day off, and wait in the corridor for my father's shift to end. I close my eyes and lean my head against the wall, until I hear mismatched footsteps and a waft of strawberry reach me. She asks to have a word.
"You think I lifted a van off you?" I say incredulously to her as she questions me. I lean in close to her, a little smile playing on my lips, "Nobody will believe that, you know."
I walk away before she can manage to spit anything else out, and find a secluded room to pace until I can go home.
I ignore her the next day. The way to make someone want something more is to take it away. So I don't speak to her until biology, the last class of the day. I apologise to her for my rudeness, and then the lies begin to spill.
"It's just that you make me nervous. I've never met anyone like you," I say, with my sweetest voice. God, my brother would kill himself laughing if he heard what I was saying to this some girl. "I think you're really special."
She sputters in disbelief, the blood flowing into her cheeks. And into my mouth if I play my cards right.
"Me?" she asks, looking up through her lashes, in what she probably thinks is a cute quirk. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"Of course," I smile warmly at her. "Maybe we can hang out after school? I live next to the forest, we could take a walk."
She nods shyly, and drops her head back down to her textbook, hair falling over her face so I can't see her. I smirk. That was easy. After the final school bell rings, I walk next to her out to the parking lot.
"I can come with you if you like, I can show you the way," I say casually as we reach her rusty Chevrolet.
"What about your car?" she gestures the back corner where I had taken to parking this year.
"One of my brothers will take it home," I say. I had already thought of this. "They are always begging me to drive it."
I feel ridiculously, joking around with this unsuspecting girl. I can't believe she honestly thinks I'm interested. Bless her soul.
Once she agreed to this suggestion, I swing myself into the passenger seat with ease. She looks at me, startled.
"Most people have a lot of trouble with that door, usually gets jammed," she says, staring wide eyed.
"Well," I say, grinning at her, quickly making up an excuse. "they mustn't be as strong as me then, are they?"
She giggles, and looks away, flustered. Ugh. This better be worth it.
She turns the car on, and it roars to life. I point her in the opposite direction of my house. I did say we could take a walk through the forest, I just didn't say the one near my house.
The truck putters to a stop, after I point to a spot on the side of the road for her to pull over.
I open the door, pretending to struggle a bit this time, for good measure, and get out. As soon as I slam the door, my phone vibrates. Alice. She knows. I switch my phone off, and slide it into my pocket. I can deal with that later. I'm still 'new' to them. They'll come around.
I notice the girl almost fall out the car, and run over to grab her hand and steady her. I smile at her, as I lead her towards the forest, not letting go of her hand. We talk casually, and I tell her about my adopted family, lulling her into a false sense of security, and I feel her relax next to me.
"My house is just through those trees," I say, indicating to the right of where we are walking. From where we are, we can just see the cream bricks of a building. God knows who lives there. Probably just an innocent old couple, their lives about to be shook up by a girl ravaged by wolves, just near their house.
That is what I did know about this section of the forest; wolves often hunted here. We didn't come here for that exact reason. And they stank. I screw my nose up, and try to focus on the girl's overwhelmingly enchanting scent.
"Well let's go!" She says, heading in the direction that I pointed. I pull her arm back, and gaze into her eyes.
"No, I would rather have you all to myself," Oh I do, I really do. I don't think even Jasper could handle being in close proximity with her. "Besides, my family is really embarrassing, they would be so excited to see I've brought a girl home. I've never had a girlfriend before..."
I feign embarrassment, and she looks at me, smiling. I don't need to read her mind to know that she's making clucky girl noises that they make when they find something 'cute'. I'll show her cute.
I take her hand and pull her further into the forest, until we reach a fallen over log, moss and flowers sprouting from it. I lead her to it, and take a seat. She sits tentatively next to me, hands clasped in her lap, knees facing me. She looks down at her hands, hair swinging over her face.
Rolling my eyes, I reach over and tuck her hair behind her ear, my hand lingering on the side of her face.
"Don't hide your face, it's beautiful," I say softly. Faking sincerity is easy after practising for 106 years. She leans her face into my hand, and beams at me. I take my other hand, and place it on her neck. I lean forward, staring at her lips. I feel her breathing pick up, hear her heart beating faster, and her blood, oh her blood, pulse quickly throughout her body.
She licks her dry lips as I inch closer and closer. I am using ever fibre in my being to resist, until my lips meet hers, and I crush into her, accidentally nicking her lip, and a drop of blood reaches my tongue. I see red. The animal inside me takes over, and I lurch my face towards her neck, the vein there moving erratically as she gasps, almost to the point of hyperventilating.
I force my hand on her mouth as she takes in a breath to scream. Her warm, sweet, blood, gushes over my mouth, it pours out quickly that I can swallow, and flows down my chin, neck and shirt.
Somehow, she's still alive, still trying to fight me off. I stare deeply into her eyes as I tear myself away from her neck, to drink from another part of her body. She stares at me, horrified, tears streaming down her face, mingling with the red that shines her neck.
I lick my lips, my eyes never leaving hers, and grin manically. I can see now how Rosalie went a bit overboard with the dramatics sometimes.
I decide not to kill her yet, let her die from blood loss. The struggle makes it just that much better.
I reach down to the fleshy part of her thigh and slash through the tender skin with my teeth. My hands grab at her legs to keep her still as I drink. Her legs slow to a twitch, and then nothing, but blood still pours out of her, still warm, still delicious.
I stay and drink from different parts of her body until I am sure that I have got all than I can, while still making her look as though she had been destroyed by a wild animal.
I stand up, and look at the mess I had made. Grass blades gleamed with blood in the setting sun. I picked up a blade, and licked it clean before tossing it over my shoulder, my eyes closed in satisfaction.
As I open my eyes, the red tinge fades, and I come to my senses.
I start to work on making it look like an animal had attacked her, but I had little to do. My blood craze had not left small bites or fang puncture marks, but massive, torn gashes all over her body. All I had to do was rip her clothes a bit and perhaps make something paw prints in the dirt surrounding us.
I stand back, fancying my handiwork. I take my shirt off, and wipe my body clean of her delicious blood. I scrunch my shirt up and press it to my nose, breathing in heavily before I burn it to ashes with the lighter in my back pocket. I shove the remains of the shirt in my bag to dump elsewhere.
I start to leave, but turn back to give one last look at her, remembering the tiny vial in my pocket. I crouched down beside her body. It was mangled beyond repair. I fill the vial with some of the blood still feebly dribbling from her neck. I look at her face, a terror etched upon it, and kiss her lips, and then the vial.
"Thank you Bella," I say before speeding home. I would have some explaining to do.
