CH2: Meetings

BPOV

"I have a letter for Isabella de la Volturi!" the mail carrier announced as he made his way through the hotel's lobby, delivering the day's post. I raised my hand timidly. The second he saw me, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He stayed like that for at least a minute.

"Um, may I have my mail please, sir?" I asked, trying to get him shaken out of his daze (unintentionally caused by myself).

"Huh? Oh yeah…" he stammered. He handed me the letter and scurried off quickly. I smiled at his idiocy. Humans were so predictable. Dangle a pretty object in front of them and they are completely diverted from anything else in the world.

I tore open the envelope and was met with Carlisle's familiar handwriting. I was instantly warmed by the only good memories of my vampire life.

Intelligent conversations, reading classics and medical books, laughing together…

I sighed. I truly longed to be human again, but not for the reason most vampires had. I didn't want children or a husband. I never dreamt of that; it was almost as if I knew I wasn't going to last long enough to enjoy of it. The reason I wanted to be human was so that none of this could have happened. I left the Volturi, but I still had the memories, memories that would haunt me for the rest of eternity. I wish vampires could die. Painfully. After all, we do deserve it.

P.S. We want to hear ALL of your Queen Elizabeth stories…

That line was particularly painful to me. I missed her dreadfully. Sure, I had reminders, like the rings and gowns that she had given me, but it didn't compare to actually seeing her in person. Nothing could compare to that.

I finished reading the letter and then took off into the distance towards the elusive Carlisle Cullen.

CPOV

"Now," I began in a foreboding voice, full of authority, "I expect to see you show our guest kindness," I shot a glance at Rosalie, "respect, and most of all, she needs support. I want her to learn our ways in relative comfort. Is that too much to ask?" Everyone shook their heads. "Good."

Emmett raised his hand. "What Emmett?" I asked, annoyed.

"Does this mean we can't make fun of her?" I glared at him, and he took that as answer enough.

"Actually," I remarked, "if her behavior now is anything like it was 200 years ago, she'll probably just stay in her room with her massive collection of books until school starts every morning."

"She's going to school with us?" Rosalie questioned. I was actually surprised at Rose's behavior. The second she heard about Bella's huge collection of vintage dresses, she immediately warmed up to the idea of a newcomer. She was so predictable.

"Tell me about it," Edward muttered. I smiled.

"Yes," I replied, "she's going to school with you all. I don't know how she'll take it though…Alice?" I turned to my psychic daughter for answers.

"She'll grumble about the idiocy and shallowness of humans for a while, but then she'll be okay." Good. Because the last time I checked, Isabella angry resulted in pain. We were all lucky she was not quick to anger.

"Uh, you guys!" Alice squealed. "Five…four…three…two…one!" The second Alice counted to one, the door burst open, and Isabella stood in the entryway.

EPOV

When Alice finished counting, a beautiful woman, whom I assumed was Isabella, opened the door.

She was wearing a corseted burgundy dress that floated to the floor, black lace covering her hands up to the knuckles, and an intricate matching necklace. Her mahogany hair was piled into a beaded black hairnet.

She took a few careful steps toward Carlisle, her slender, perfectly manicured, and heavily ringed fingers extended towards him. He took her hand gently and kissed it.

"Carlisle," she breathed her voice sounding like musical bells and tainted with a slight British accent, "it's truly been too long."

"Truly," he agreed, then turned to us. "Let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife Esme, and our children-of-sorts Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and Edward." He pointed to each of us as he said our names.

"It's lovely to make your acquaintance," she said, curtsying low. Fortunately, Alice burst in.

"Hi! I'm Alice! I've waited so long to meet you! I know it's only been two days, but it was a really long time! Oh, by the way no one curtsies anymore. They don't kiss hands either. You just shake hands." Isabella looked taken aback.

"But only men shake hands!" she cried, flustered.

"Oh silly," Alice huffed, "we aren't in the Elizabethan era anymore! This is the 21st century! Women can do whatever they want now!"

"That'll take some getting used to," Isabella murmured. I looked at her with sympathy. Carlisle, Jasper, and I were the only ones born in times when women were incredibly restricted. It did indeed take some getting used to.

"So Bella, where are your things?" Carlisle asked, breaking the tension.

"I only brought my favorite things, so I don't have much, but what I have is outside." Alice was gone in a flash and returned with four large bags.

"I got your stuff!" she announced. Isabella grinned at her.

"Oh!" Isabella exclaimed as if remembering something. "I understand you all have some things you would like to see?" Everyone nodded vigorously. "Alright. Rosalie and Alice, three of those bags are filled to the brim with dresses. Jasper, here is the Civil War journal, in Robert E. Lee's hand, may I add, and finally, Edward, the original script of Romeo and Juliet. Enjoy." She gave everyone their gifts and they all scurried off to enjoy them in peace and solitude. I just studied the copy in my hand for a while, marveling at the penmanship and age of it. Bella was chatting quietly with Carlisle and Esme, and Emmett plugged in his Play Station, thinking something about killing 'those evil aliens that dare invade my precious city'. He always was a little off his rocker.

"I have to actually interact with humans?" Isabella whispered at one point.

"Yes, we need to blend in," Carlisle replied.

"But they're positively moronic!" she complained. I had to agree with her on that point.

"Please Bella, at least while you're here?" he begged. She caved easily. It seemed like she couldn't bear to disappoint her old friend.

"Fine, but I won't be happy about it," she grumbled.

"That's my girl!" Carlisle cooed. "Always distant and bitingly sarcastic to the point of being suicidal!"

"Idiot," she muttered, stalking off to her room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"No Bella, you're not doing it right!" Alice scolded as she attempted to teach Bella to walk like a human.

"Well, I've been walking this way for 450 years!" she retorted. "It will be rather difficult for me to revert to this form of walking!"

"Look Bella," Alice started, "you glide. You walk like a queen, each step precise and regal. No one walks like that. They slouch slightly and just go." Bella gave her a questioning look. "Just walk like I do." Alice strode up and down the hallway with her lithe dancer's step. "Okay, maybe that's not the best way for you…oh, I know! Walk like Rose!" Bella nodded and attempted to walk like my haughty sister.

"That's better, but don't put one foot in front of the other," Alice advised. Bella walked down the hall with less regality, but it was still too much.

"It's a good thing she's from England," Alice whispered to me. "We can use that as an excuse." I chuckled.

"Better?" Bella asked. Alice sighed.

"It'll do," Alice acknowledged, her face downcast. Then, it brightened as if she remembered something important. "Omigod! You can't wear a corset tomorrow! I'll get you some of Rose's clothes. They're from last season, but they'll do."

"Yes, god forbid my first day of school be ruined by a bad outfit!" Bella cried, her tone oozing sarcasm.

Oh great, another Edward. Emmett thought. Let's return him and keep her. She's seems just I tiny bit more fun. I rolled my eyes.

"How are the human classes going Alice?" Carlisle inquired, coming down the stairs. She grunted. "I see," he muttered.

Edward, Alice called in her mind. I have to get Bella an outfit. Can you instruct her in my absence, please? I nodded quickly. She smiled and darted up the stairs.

"Slouch slightly, just go. Slouch slightly, just go," Bella muttered to herself under her breath.

"It's better if you just stop thinking about it," I suggested. She took a deep breath and then strode gracefully, but still somewhat regally, down the hall.

"Very good," I commented. She smiled, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked when she did that.

"Thank you." I just smiled back.

"Children, children!" Esme called. "Get ready for school. Emmett, unplug your Wii, Rose, stop trying on Bella's dresses, and Jasper, put down the Civil War journal!" She was met with a series of grumbles and complaints, but they all obeyed.

Soon enough we were all piled in my Volvo. It was a little awkward, not because Rose had to sit in Emmett's lap, but because they were making out like hormone-crazed teens. I got some really bad mental images.

Once we all got there, we escorted Bella to the office so she could get her schedule.

Ms. Cope, was of course, behind the desk, looking as creepy as ever.

"Can I help you dear?" she asked Bella as she approached the desk. Her eyes were not separated from the computer screen.

"I'm the new student," Bella said. "Isabella de la Volturi."

"One moment please," Ms. Cope replied. It was as she handed Bella the schedule that she actually saw her face.

Isabella de la Vol – oh my goodness! She must be a Cullen. She certainly has the genes. She must be related to the doctor. They both have British accents. Oh yes, she'll be a heartbreaker.

I chuckled under my breath and Bella raised an eyebrow.

When we exited the office, Alice ambushed Bella, trying to see what classes she had.

"Alice, Alice!" she exclaimed. "Calm down! I have Literature first."

"Oh," Alice pouted, then brightened. "Edward has that class too." She grinned widely at me.

It would certainly be interesting having her in lit class. She was after all, an expert on all things literature.

I managed to strike up a bit of conversation as we made our way to class.

"So Bella," I started, "what's your favorite book?" She shrugged.

"I love many," she responded. "However, I am particularly fond of Crime and Punishment. It relates so well to my life. Constant hardship, debilitating circumstances, then, a hope for redemption."

"I can't say that I've ever read that one," I remarked.

"Oh you must," she insisted, "its wonderful."

"I'll pick a copy up." She smiled at me as I held the classroom door open for her.

The class was mainly uneventful, until the teacher's thoughts jarred me from my self-induced reverie.

Ha! I don't care if she is a Cullen; no one can answer this question!

"Miss de la Volturi," the teacher addressed. "In your opinion, why did Romeo and Juliet die?" He smirked triumphantly.

"Who can say really?" she responded. "Was it fate; foretold in the stars, like so much of the play seems to be? Was it chance, bad luck, if you will? Was it adolescent passion: folly that thrust them into youthful haste and tragedy? Was it the deadly feud that had a stranglehold on the families? Or, perchance, was it fathers? Verona was after all a patriarchal city, a city where fathers ruled all." She paused for a moment and started back up again with an amazing amount of emotion. "However, I believe with all of my heart that it was true love. Their love was so strong, it was cemented the first time they laid eyes on each other."

"So, you believe that their love was true?" the teacher asked, thoroughly intrigued, like most of the class.

"Most ardently. Having witnessed such a phenomenon first-hand, I know that it exists. With all that I am; every sinew and cell, I believe whole-heartedly and eternally that true love exists, not only for the two star-crossed lovers in the play, but in reality as well. I also believe that only the strongest of loves started at meeting. Romeo and Juliet's love was perfect and untainted. True, virtuous, what have you. Even in death, they are together. And they always will be. Shakespeare must have been in love if he was able to personify enamourment with such personality and reverence. For I can say with all confidence, only a man truly in love could have ever written a story such as that."

Everyone was silent, and then the whole room broke into applause. Much to her embarrassment, I stood up, the rest of the class following. Even the conceited Jessica and Lauren stood up and applauded Bella's speech.

The rest of the class paled in comparison to Bella's oration, and soon enough, lunch came. As she and I walked to the cafeteria, I took the time to congratulate her.

"Bella, that was absolutely amazing. You spoke with so much emotion and honesty, as if you were in love yourself."

She laughed musically. "Oh no Edward, I assure you, I am not in love at the moment, nor do I ever intend to be."

But I didn't believe her.