Chapter 2: Different


I awoke suddenly, startled by the light coming through my window. My eyes scrunched up as the daylight came through the curtains. Groggy from sleep, I got out of bed and pulled the fabric back, throwing my bedroom in Charlie's house into darkness again. I grabbed onto my desk in surprise as vertigo overwhelmed me, throwing me off balance. As my vision righted itself, I felt icy arms around me and I leaned into them gratefully.

"Are you ok, love?" Edward asked, his velvet voice worried. I sighed, laying my forehead against his freezing forearm. I was experiencing chills, my head was pounding. My abdomen was cramping painfully. I groaned quietly in response. I knew this feeling, though I had never experienced it first hand. Edward's anxiety spiked, sitting me down on the bed and throwing questions at me: how do I feel? Where does it hurt? I finally shushed him, rubbing my head meaningfully.

"You're making my headache worse," I said, smiling humorlessly. He quieted, his ocher eyes still worried. I got up from the bed and headed to my closet, pulling out a T-shirt, jeans, and a warm hoodie.

"I suppose you would disagree if I asked you to stay home today," he said and I smiled again in response, the expression petulant. He sighed, frustrated, but said nothing more. The ride to school was quiet; I kept my eyes closed most of the time as Edward and Alice spoke in hushed voices, their words so fast I didn't bother to catch them. It was a typical dreary morning in Forks, Washington and the day continued as it usually did. Neither the headache in my head nor the chills nor the pain in my abdomen diminished though. In fact, they augmented and became coupled with a feeling of weakness, like when you have the flu and every movement of your muscles hurts painfully as if you just finished running a marathon.

All these symptoms I recognized and a feeling of dread came to the forefront of my mind; though it had been present for over a year, the feeling always stayed in the background, waiting until now to overwhelm me. I could feel myself getting weaker and I knew that I would be expected to act. I should have done so long ago, but I couldn't.

I couldn't let them know.

But, as I fought to keep my eyes focused and my head somewhat clear, I began to believe that I wasn't going to have a choice in the end. I didn't completely understand it; yes, I had been neglecting my health; yes, I had been neglecting doing what I had been told, but the symptoms should have come much more gradually, not all at once as they had this morning. I shook my head, both from confusion and discomfort. I was vaguely aware that I was in English class, Edward and Alice by my side. Class has just ended and they were waiting for me to stand; I got unsteadily to my feet, feeling much weaker than I had ever felt in my life. Edward and Alice stared at me in concern as I slowly gathered my things. I believed each of them asked me if I was alright but I couldn't be sure, mostly from the hollow ringing in my ears. I continued instead, slowly leaving the room, both of them on my tail.

I was only a few steps down the hall when I had to reach out and hold onto the wall for support. I turned, pressing my sweating back against the cool, bare cinder block, my eyes closed and my head bowed, breathing heavily. Edward and Alice were there and Edward was asking me what was wrong. I didn't answer; my strength left me. My legs gave out and I felt myself falling for an instant before Edward's and Alice's hands caught me. Holding me up, they both persisted with questions but I could not understand any of them. I heard the pounding of blood in my head and the heat in my head overwhelmed me and I blacked out.


When I awoke, I heard the familiar sound of a heart monitor. I bolted upright in bed, taking in my surroundings. It was dark outside and I was in Carlisle's office, lying on a hospital bed. A heart monitor and IV were attached to me. I looked at my arms appraisingly; I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw no other puncture wounds, meaning no one had taken my blood. I looked around the room again; I was alone. I tried to stretch my hearing beyond the room to no avail. I could tell my heart was pumping irregularly, about 110 beats per minute.

Uh oh. I knew what that meant. And I knew what it meant to the Cullens. I couldn't let them know. Not yet, if at all. I heard the slight movement on the stairs as someone heard my unsteady heartbeat pick up. I cringed away from the door as it opened. Carlisle and Edward were there, Carlisle' eyes going to the equipment then to me and Edward vice versa. Carlisle put his hands out, slowly coming toward me. My eyes wide, I tried to get away, but I was hooked up to too many wires and my body too weak to work properly.

"Bella, it's ok, it's ok," Carlisle assured me. I shook my head at him as the rest of the family entered the room, taking in the scene and my expression, which I knew held pain and fear. They were concerned for my fear, the fear they believed stemming from what they were. But it wasn't. It was for the fear of what I was, more closely, not wanting them to know what I was. I curled in on myself as my stomach cramped excessively, moaning slightly the ache overtook my muscles.

Edward made toward me before he stopped dead, turning toward the open window and the forest beyond. Not a split second later, a howl went up into the night sky.

"It's the wolves. They're here to attack," he snarled. Without a word, he and his brothers made toward the door. Carlisle quickly followed, already focusing on calming the boys down. Alice and Rosalie followed, Alice giving me a worried glance. Esme stayed with me, her amber eyes cautious; I avoided her gaze. Instead, I listened to the confrontation in the yard a story below.


Hey everyone! Here's Chapter 2!

I know this is very confusing but it will be settled soon if you continue reading!

These are the preliminary chapters leading up to the good stuff—I have to set the scene before anything else makes sense!

Hope you enjoyed!

~Melinda :)