I took a bite of the brownie. Holy hell. Well, wasn't that just delicious? Well, I would probably take one of these babies if it was even laced with arcenic, so I'm probably going to say yes.

At around five, I had ventured downstairs, to make sure Tails had not dropped by, and I hadn't missed her or something. But Mom said no, and invited me to sit with her, and watch some Chistmas movie on Lifetime. I said yes, because I figured Tails would be here any time... But infact, two hours later I was sitting in the recliner, crying, unlike my mother, who was comforting me with food instead.

The dog had to die, didn't it? Can't be a Christmas movie unless someone is brutually murdered!

But whatever. I had a brownie now, and I had the next movie, Log Cabi-

Wait. I had to stop this. I looked down at myself. Brownie crumbs on my All Time Low shirt, a Cosmo on the coffee table by my feet, a commercial for tampons on the telly. What was this business? It had to stop!

I jumped up after that thought, dusting the crums off my shirt. Mom looked at my strangely, as I shoved the rest of Tail's lovely, god-like brownie into my mouth. I grabbed my hot chocolate off the table, grasping it with both hands.

"I'm going upstairs," I announced with great attention. "I'm getting kinda tired."

"We can watch something else," Mom suggested, but I shook my head. I figured by the look in my eye that I didn't want to cry at the end of a movie again. That could simply ruin me (before I began) around here. She nodded simply. "Okay. Isn't that girl-?"

"She bailed, apparently." I didn't even have to let Mom finish. I glanced at the door. I didn't want to believe that Tails ditched me here to a night with my Mother. I wanted to believe that the jazz band won their competition, and they celebrated. And celebrated. All night. But honestly? She was a rich doctor's daughter, with great looks, and musical talent. She probably was friends with the jocks and a cheerleader herself. Of course she'd find messing with the new kid funny. I wouldn't be surprised if these brownies gave me salonella.

"I'm sorry, son. Goodnight, dear."

Did I look that disappointed? Or did she just know? I felt that way. Disappointed in Tails. She seemed better than that... Whatever. I guess I don't care. I didn't actually lose anything.

I started up the stairs. And barely made it up that flight before there was a loud knock at the door. I froze- No need to get your hopes up yet, James. It could be Mia or one of her kids.

I heard Mom stir, and watched her hustle to the door. For some reason, my heart kinda skipped a beat when she answered the door. But I wasn't sure why... I didn't like Tails!

But Mom opened the door, and truly, by sheer idea, it was Tails. Standing there, in all her glory. She was wearing a long petticoat that latched in the front by deer antler pieces. I didn't see anything under that, so I guess she was wearing a dress. She had a blue ribbon tied in her hair.

"Um, Hello, Mrs. Conrow. Is James here?" Tails asked, sounding almost confused and awkward, like she wasn't arriving at 11 at night.

I kinda wanted to see if she gave Mom any excuses to why she wasn't here sooner. I mean, she hadn't really given me a time on she'd be here, but she said just a few hours. All day?

"Oh, yes, Ms. Cullen, please come in!" Mom took a step back, so she could step in, and Tails nodded a thank you. Tails stepped in, a backpack on her back. "Yes, he's here. Poor soul thought you bailed on your plans! Blessed boy watched Christmas movies with me all night. He even cried when the dog died!" Tails giggled a little. Oh no.

"Mom!" I hissed. Mom looked up to me, surprised to see me still standing there. She smiled a little, then looked back to Tails, obviously not ashamed that she had told on me.

"Well, there he is, dear," Mom said to Tails, motioning up the stairs. Tails looked up to me, her eyes sparkling of the lights from the Christmas tree downstairs. I motioned her with one hand. She began up the stairs. "Are you spending the night, dear?"

Tails looked at me questioningly. I looked to Mom and nodded. "She is."

"Alright then. There's food down here if you all get hungry." Mom was practically gleaming. Yeah, it was pretty easy to assume that at this point, Tails and I were burning for each other. But that was wrong. We /weren't/ dating. I barely knew her.

She ran up the rest of the stairs to stand by me. She looked around, then looked to me. I wanted to ask her everything. Had they won? Is that why they were so late getting home? Had she asked her parents to stay? Or would she be leaving later?

But she pointed to my hands. I looked down, and realized she was pointing to the glass in my hand instead. "Can I have a drink? I'm dying."

Before I could realize we were barely friends, and all the diseases this action could pass back and forth, I nodded, and handed her my drink. She nodded thank you, and smiled, before taking a sip of it, and handing it back. She licked her lips, and walked past me.

"Beautiful house." She walked farther into the room, and quickly realized that my room in fact wasn't on this floor at all. I followed behind her.

"Yeah. I'm still getting used to it. My room's on the top floor," I said, walking by her, and motioning her to follow. She tagged along behind me.

"Hey, mine is too. At my house, I mean." She caught up to me, where we were walking right beside each other. Her heels hit every step with a click-like sound. She didn't seem like the type to wear heels. I guess she probably had to for competition.

We were quiet for a few more moments, as we still took stairs as they came. She stopped when she realized we had hit a floor, but I motioned her to follow, and we started up the next floor.

"Sorry, there's so many stairs," I apologized to her, taking in consideration that the heels were probably a , and how long she'd been standing on her feet practically all day.

She laughed, and shook her head. "Obviously, you have not seen my house. My house is a maze of stairs, walls, and rooms." She was gleaming, even though I didn't know why. Maybe she was that naturally bright or something.

"I've heard a lot about your family," I smiled to her. She froze in mid-set, her smile fading. I froze too, feeling my knees kinda get weak. That was not a good thing to say. I'd heard both good and bad things. (Mostly bad), but I wasn't going to bring those up. She rolled her eyes, and walked faster, and trotted up the stairs in front of me.

"I didn't know you were that kind of guy," she said dryly. Guy? What's a guy? I pulled my super-glued shoes off the sticky stairs, and forced myself to follow her.

"What kind of guy?" I asked, trying to catch up to her; which was impossible, by the way.

"The kind of guy who listens to the rumors." But the she stopped. I almost ran into her. She turned quickly, looking down at me. She looked . "No one set you up to this, did they?"

I shook my head, cause that's they only thing I could think to do. She nodded thoughtfully, then sighed. "Yeah, I bet." Then she kept walking, at a slower pace.

"No, I promise. I'm new. You can't possibly think that I have friends. I was kinda thinking that /you/ were /set up/. Messing with the new guy..." I took the steps as a double, so I was finally on the same step as her. She looked to me, with a laugh.

"Really?" she asked.

I nodded, as we walked onto my floor. She laughed, shaking her head.

"You heard the rumors. Good and bad, am I correct?" I wondered is that was a trick question, but I nodded. "You can't possibly think I have friends."

"I kinda thought you'd be really popular. Being a doctor's daughter and all." I tucked my hands into my pockets, as she began to undo the antler buttons on her jacket. She laughed at the idea.

"They despise us for being outcasts." She let her jacket drop to the floor, with my jaw, too. Her dress had no straps, but it had long, black, lace gloves that ran up her arms. Made completely of lace, in the shape of flowers. She was wearing a short, metallic, teal dress that glided down to about two inches above her knees. Below that, she had the tights that went a little past her knees, made of the same lace as her gloves. And her bow matched her dress perfectly. I wondered if the outfit was literally made for her. It looked like it. Her necklace was silver and black; it had this lion looking thing, and a hand. I wasn't really sure what that meant, but whatever.

"Hello? James!"

I snapped to attention, looking into her eyes.

"What are you staring at?" she laughed, shaking her head. "What? You never saw a girl before?" She turned her back on me, and started for the couch. I seemed like a pervert. I must redeem.

"I've never seen no one as pretty. That's all." And that was the truth. She looked so gorgeous right now, with the moonlight pouring through the window, and silhouetting her path, that it seemed god-like. Just like her brownies. Actually, better than her brownies. And that's saying something.

She froze. I wondered if I had broke her. She spun around, a wide, beautiful smile on her face. "You mean that?"

I nodded quickly.

I saw her blush, even in the moonlight. She bit her lip, and looked away. It was quiet for a second, and I thought she might say something completely girly that would ruin her tom-boy status.

"Don't get used to it."

Nope.

"I won't," I promised, walking up behind her, and around her. I turned on a lamp, so we could both see. I sat down on the couch, handing her the telly remote as she sat down beside me. I sat my glass on the table. "Here. Find something on."

And guess what was on, as soon as she turned on the telly. Just my luck. The Victoria Secret Winter Fashion Show. One hundred half naked girls, prancing around the telly, in all their glory, getting many men, just like me, in deep, deep shit. I hope Miranda Kerr and her perfect brown locks knew what type of grave they were burying me into.

But she froze, still looking into the telly. She relaxed against the back of the couch. I was too busy to care to watch. Too busy watching Tails to even care if there was a wardrobe malfunction (it never actually happens anyways). She smiled a little, and I was kinda scared.

"I'm not so pretty now, am I?" She looked to me quickly, a smirky look on her face. Was that a trick question as well?

"You're still pretty. Gorgeous. And even better, you're real," I shrugged. I felt like I was putting the moves on her. Is it considered moves, if it's the truth? She almost laughed.

"You're awfully nice. You're not planning to get something from me, are you?" She asked, looking modest, but pained. As if she didn't want to hear the answer of rather I just wanted to have sex with her, then move on.

"I don't want anything from you, except the honest to God truth, around the clock. Alright? You do that, and I'll do the same."

She nodded, even though she hesitated. "Yes."

We watched it for a few more moments, watching one of the models prance and kiss Adam Levine. What a dumb profession.

"You can change the channel," I reminded her, pointing to the remote. She looked down to the remote, and sighed. She dropped it onto my lap.

"I don't watch a lot of TV. What's good on?" She kicked off her heels, then folded her legs up under her. I checked the clock sitting above the TV. 11 PM.

"Nothing, really," I shrugged. "Do you not have cable?"

"Well, yeah. But my brother's are always watching sports, Nessie's always watching kiddie shows, Mom's always watching cooking shows, and my sister's are always watching reality TV. By the end of the day, most of my brain cells are already gone, so I choose reading and writing instead." She nodded in agreement with herself, and then, she cringed. " I sound like a nerd," she sighed, popping her neck.

"Nah, I agree with you." I pointed to the map on my wall. It was covered in tiny push pins. My Dad started this thing when I was still a kid. It's where you read a book, and if the book said where it took place, you marked it with a numbered pin. Then you have a special notebook, that you write the number of the pin, then all about the book and it's characters and things. Through all these years, I have four world maps hanging up on my walls, and two and a half notebook's worth of documenting the places.

"See the maps?" I asked. She nodded, staring at them, looking kind of fascinated. I told her about how my Dad had started it with me as a kid, and how I've been doing it ever since, and that I liked reading as well.

"Where is your Dad?" she asked, looking to me. I knew she didn't know better. It's not like my Mom had time to warn her not to ask that question. No one had really asked, cause everyone already knew... It kind of hurt to think about. To know that he wasn't around anymore. But... I'm kind of at piece with it.

And it's not like I can cry about my situation. Both of her parents were (A), dead, (B), unable to care for her, or (C), didn't care about her/didn't want her. Having one true parent was better than having none. I understood that her current parents were probably great parents, and seemed like her real parents... But she knew they weren't. Obviously.

"He passed away last Christmas."

Her face softened, and she swallowed hard. She had the same reaction as everyone else. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," I sighed. She jumped to her feet, to my surprise, and straightened out her dress. She pointed to the maps, with a questionigly look. I nodded, giving her permission. She walked over to them in silence, and began to look them over.

"There's one in Forks. What book is that from?" She turned back around to face me. I stood up. I didn't remember a book about Forks. I walked over, and began to look for it. Sure enough, on Map 3, there was one. She wasn't jokin' me.

"Oh yeah! The Twilight series!" I pointed to marks at La Push and Italy too. Also to the one's around the world, where covens of vampires also resigned. Alaska, Mexico, Romania, ect. I hadn't thought about that book in a long time. In fact, I had forgotten about it.

But then, I realized, 'Hey! I now live in Forks!'. And the I realized the book was centered around a coven of vampires named the Cullens', and the Swan's... And I put together that I was living across from the Cullens and that Charlie Swan had brought us to our house on the day of arrival. Sure coincedence, right? Maybe Stephanie had based the books off real people... It all seemed too real, for some reason. Like I wouldn't be able to get this out of my mind, kind of real.

I looked at Tails, hoping some how she could read my mind. I had put 2 and 2 together, and I was getting 4 and 4 as I realized all of them had the perfect qualities, and pale skin, and golden eyes. And I realized that I had moved into a death trap, living across from vampires... But Tails wasn't in the books. She wasn't a vampire!

Tails looked up at me. Her mouth fell open a little, and she looked really worried. "Are you alright?" She reached out for me, but I jerked away. That made her look even more freaked out. "What's wrong with you!"

Even though I knew the vampires from the books were merely harmless, I knew not all were. And I didn't want to deal with them at all. But still, maybe I could 've handled it better than the way I did.

"Everyone in your family's a vampire besides you!" I hollered, a little too loud, but not loud enough for Mom to hear downstairs. Her jaw dropped completely, as she stood there, frozen. "I know! And don't try to tell me different! Cause I read all the books, even the Illustrated Guide! I know, Tails, I know!"

Tails swallowed hard, taking a step towards me. I didn't move this time. "How... Do you know? This could get me in some deep stuff, James. I need to know how you know."

"The book Twilight, I already said! It was all about Bella Swan and her adventures with the Cullens, more or less..."

Tails nodded, with a sigh. "The Volturi just grew aware of those books last year, after the Illustrated Guide was put out. They had to go through the world, destroying every copy. Poor Alec spent months going through the world, and making people forget all about the book..." She looked down, shaking her head. "I have no idea how they missed you."

"The Volturi? They're real!" I said quickly, unable to believe what I was hearing. Somehow, fiction just became real. Sickly real. If they're real, imagine who else is real. I can name off twenty other bad guys I can go forever without meeting.

"Uh, yeah." She walked away quickly, and I watched her pick up her jacket off the ground. She came back with her clutch purse that had been on the inside pocket of the jacket. She opened it, and began fishing through it. She pulled out a picture, and held it out to me.

"Alec, Jane, myself," she pointed out the twins, then shrugged. Then she pointed to their necklaces, which made a ton of money in the movie franchise. They didn't exactly look like Dakota Fanning and Cameron Bright, but they were damn close. Only better looking.

Half of me said this was all a joke. Half of me said that no one was this clever to come up with a whole story about re-invented vampires. Stephanie had known the truth, and she sold it.

"Holy God," I muttered. She practically laughed at me. "I thought the twins were mean."

"Mean is a bare understatement," she said cooly. "It depends. Not to me, ever. They're both two of my best friends... You look sick." She tucked the picture away.

"I feel sick too. Are you a vampire?" I asked, looking her in the eyes. And get this. She laughed at me! Like the idea was absurd!

"Oh, no."

"Is there any other fictional characters out there that are from books?"

"Um, the Harry Potter fandom... Will Grayson, Will Grayson novel... er, The Maximum Ride series, I guess you'd call it... Willow from her own book.. and that's all. I'm sure of it."

"How do you know!"

"They all go to Forks High. Well, not the kids that go to Hogwarts or Salem, of course. But I have their emails and phone numbers."

"Hah! Now, I know you're kidding! You can't have electronics in Hogwarts! It interferes with the magic!"

She froze, and sighed. "James, you're going mentally crazed right now. Just believe what I've told you, alright? Rowling had to bend the truth a little, okay? Otherwise, the wizards and witches secrets would be told, and that wouldn't be fair... You know what, I'm going to leave. And when you come at peace with this, and grow some balls about the situation, I'll know. Because then you'll come over to my house to find me..."

And she left.