Chapter 1

After I cleaned my mess up, something that took me less and less time after every meal, I headed back to my home. Being what I am and all that good stuff, home is an ever changing state of mind for me. I move about every two or three years, starting out as a junior then moving after I graduate. Depending on the town's history and if there have been any past inhabitants of my kind there usually dictates whether I start as a junior or senior. Here, I started as a junior and it was now March of my senior year. I've made friends here, yes, but I never let myself get too attached. I leave and they end up croaking in sixty some odd years. Such is life.

I was currently in a podunk little town called Creek Harbor. It's literally on the border between Washington and Alaska, kind of a neat place if you're into hunting and cold weather. Like me. my house was one of kind, if you will. Half of it was actually in Alaska while the other half was in Washington, it added a little something to it.

I've graduated high school quite a few times now, college only twice. I've learned that the kids in high school ask less question than those in college. So it's easier for me to be a high schooler. I always figured it'd be the opposite, but when you think about it, it makes sense. High school students are too focused on 'does this dress make my butt look big?' and 'ohmygod guess who I made out with last night?' and yes even the 'oh crap I can't be pregnant. He said he pulled out.' College students don't have all the high school distractions so it's easier for them to become obsessed with asking questions.

I'm good about not getting too close to my classmates. About twenty years ago I was in Colorado, and I had befriended a girl named Ellie. She was an outcast much like myself and we just bonded instantly. Our friendship was easy, we could sit in her room both of us silent and just reading and we'd be happy. She never asked me why my eyes were red or where my family was. She didn't care, all that mattered was that she was my friend and I had her back. It was New Years Eve when is happened. She was driving to meet me in a clearing her and I had stumbled upon during the past summer to watch the fireworks. I was setting up the extra blankets I had brought cause Ellie was horrible at judging how cold it would be outside when I heard it. The screeching tires and then the breaking of glass, and then, silence. I stopped breathing when I was close enough to smell the blood, sure I had excellent control, but I was still a monster. I saw the car then, a car I would recognize anywhere.

"I know what you are, Bella." Ellie whispered when she saw me approach. She wasn't scared of me though, I could see that, death however terrified her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, not inhaling. She looked bad, really bad. There was a huge cut on the side of her head, and more scraps and gashes from the broken glass.

"Vampire." She said, her face not faltering the least.

I opened my mouth to say something, to rebuke her, but I smelt the smoke and gas. A fire started on the passenger side, and it was spreading quickly. So much for my rebuttle.

Ellie's leg was jammed under the dashboard, I reached under to try and free her leg and I could feel the heat against my cold skin. "shit." I hissed, the fire touched my skin and I retracted my hand. Smelling yourself burning wasn't a pleasant experience at all. I move my hand fast and the fire went out.

"I bet that felt lovely." Ellie said, sarcastic as ever. I felt my lip tug into a smile. My nostrils flared as I smelt the burning of human flesh, my eyes widened as I waited for Ellie to scream. But she was silent as ever, studying me. I saw then, the awkward angle that she was in, her spine. I worked faster than, not bothering to stay at human place, the cats out of the bag now.

I pulled her a good twenty feet from her, now engulfed car. "You're beatuful, you know." Ellie said. I rolled my eyes.

"Not just vampire you, I did some digging. I was curious, sue me. I searched your name, and found out about a disappearance of an Isabella Swan, when you were her, you were beautiful."

"Is this when you tell me that you have a big lesbian crush on me?" I asked.

"In your dreams." She laughed, but it gurgled.

"I don't have those anymore, besides Ellie, I eat people. There's nothing beautiful about that." I told her.

"You haven't eaten me." She pointed out, matter of fact.

"Sarcastic people taste too bitter for my liking," her eyes widened ever so slightly, "you're too good of a person, and besides, you're my friend."

"Do me a favor then," her hazel eyes meet mine, and I know ,in that moment, I know exactly what she's going to ask. "Change me." She whispers, but I heard every word.

"No." I tell her, my teeth tight.

"Bella, I don't want to die. I'm only 17 for pete's sake. I have my whole life ahead of me." She begged, tears forming in her eyes.

"Take it from someone who knows, El, this isn't the life I would wish on anyone." I explain, the sense of déjà vu washing over me causing my cold heart to sink.

"This," I wave my hand to myself, "isn't living. I'm just wasting space." I reason with her.

If this situation wasn't so messed up, and my friend wasn't begging to be turned, I would almost find it ironic. Human me was all for being a vampire, but really, it's not as glorious as I thought. It's lonely and boring. Who'd have thunk that Blondie would be right.

"I'm dying and you wont save me. some friend you are." I knew she didn't actually mean those words, just the heat of the moment was causing her to speak irrationally. But every word cut through me like a knife on fire.

"No, Ellie, I'm saving you from living a life of murder and loneliness. Trust me, you don't want this. I'm sorry that you can't see things from my perspective. Maybe one day you'll understand, you know, when you're partying it up with all the rock stars that died young." I told her, I could hear her heart beats slowing down ever so slightly, and as much as I wanted to save her I knew that in the long run she would end up resenting me for it.

I heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights through the trees. "I have to go-"

"Then go. Nice knowing you, Bella. It's been great." Her breaths were heavy and short.

"I'm sorry, Ellie." I whispered into her ear as I kissed her cheek and took off into the darkness.

I stayed in the trees though, I didn't have the heart to leave her, she was my best friend after all. I watched as they worked over her, my eyes burning with tears that would never fall. Right before her heart stopped, she looked in my direction, like she knew I was still there, watching. I saw, in her eyes, that I was forgiven.