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~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

The next morning had Charlie and me waking up at around 7:00. We put the bags in the car, got the boxes ready for Charlie to send, and ate breakfast that Charlie cooked. I looked around the house from the door once more before I went outside to the cruiser while Charlie locked the door. I had put my portable CD player in my carry-on and the CD Edward made, plus the one Phil gave me. I have a few books and word puzzles too.

The hour long ride to Port Angeles was silent for the most part except one small conversation.

"Dad," I said. He glanced over at me. "I know you don't want to do this. I'd rather stay here, but I understand why you want me to go somewhere sunny."

He smiled a little while looking forward; I was looking forward too. We were both uncomfortable with expressing our emotions. "You're right, Bell. I don't want you to go, but I want you to be safe." He paused. "I'll miss you."

My eyes sprang tears a little. "I'll miss you, too, Dad."

After that, it was silent. When we got to the airport, Charlie helped me carry in my luggage. I checked in and we waited for my flight to be called. When the time came, I gave him one last hug and said goodbye before I boarded the plane to Louisiana. I listened to the CD Edward gave me for my birthday and read Wuthering Heights the entire time.

After the plane landed, I got my luggage before making my way to the front of the airport in Shreveport to find Sookie. I saw her waving at me before she started yelling my name and came over to me.

"Bella!" She stepped in front of me.

"Hey, Sookie!"

She pulled me in for a quick hug. She smiled a lot.

"Nice to finally see you again. It's been a while."

I nodded. "Yeah, it has." It was already uncomfortable.

"You ready to go?" she asked. I nodded. "Okay, this way."

I repositioned my bags, Sookie took one to carry, and I followed her to her yellow car. She kept giving me strange looks, like she was frustrated. It was the kind of look Edward gave me at first when he discovered he couldn't read my mind. When we got to the car, she opened the trunk and we put my things inside. We climbed in the front seats and started the hour drive to Bon Temps.

Sookie updated me on all the recent happenings. She said Bon Temps got its first vampire in the form of one Bill Compton. He was originally from the town. There was also the first murder in decades. Her name was Maudette Pickens, and Jason had been with her physically in the past. She was rumored to be a fangbanger. Fangbanger is the term the media created the day after the reveal (in other words, two days ago) for the overnight sensation of the people throwing themselves at the vampires wanting to be bitten and have sex. Some even want to be turned. Since Maudette was very promiscuous, there were plenty of suspects, but Jason was the main one.

I told her of my truck, my friends, and my dad. Leaving out the vampire parts, I told the edited story of my short romance after she begged and swore secrecy. She also mentioned asking her boss Sam if I could work there if I wanted. Mentioning my balance problems, I said I'd think about it.

Since she had to work that day, she dropped me off at the house after helping bring my bags inside. I greeted Adele, who was excited I was here. While there, she quickly changed into her uniform and talked a minute with her grandmother. Adele told Sookie that Dawn, another waitress at Merlotte's, was found murdered while she was gone. The town thinks Jason might have killed her too.

After a few cryptic remarks, which made me think Sookie could read minds, she left to work. That left my great-aunt and me alone in the house. We hugged each other in greeting before she asked if I wanted some fresh sweet tea. I nodded and thanked her as we went into the kitchen. After we each got a glass, she led me upstairs to my new bedroom. Since both Sookie and Adele both stayed on the first floor, I had the whole upstairs to myself. The room was bigger than the one in Forks and had a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, a lamp, a small vanity, and a desk. The walls were a flower patterned wallpaper and hardwood floors. The bed had a flowered quilt and pillow case. I put my bags in there and changed into something more weather appropriate for Louisiana.

When I came back down, there was a man standing in the living room. When they noticed my approach, Adele introduced me to the man as Mr. Green, the local used car salesman. He was here to drop off the keys to a car: my new car. It was in the front yard. He gave me a notecard saying it was from Charlie. I was surprised and touched that Charlie did this. I thanked him and went outside to look at it. It was a silver color and wasn't as old as my truck. The salesman called the car a 1995 Toyota Camry. I did recognize the brand name. I was glad it got better gas mileage than my truck in Forks. It also had a CD player in it. Once the salesman left, I called Charlie.

"Hey, Bells!" he answered.

"Hey, Dad!"

"You make it to Bon Temps okay?"

My lips came up in a small smile. "Yeah."

"That's good."

I could feel my smile getting bigger. "Thank you for the car, Dad! I love it!"

Even over the phone, I could tell he was a little embarrassed. "You're welcome, Bells. I figured since I made you move, I could get you some way to get around besides asking Sookie and Aunt Adele."

I was still smiling. "Well, thank you."

"So, how do you like Louisiana so far?" He wasn't comfortable with sentimental for long, and neither was I.

"It's not that bad. It's warm. I already changed to shorts!" I was glad about that. "Adele is really nice too. My bedroom is pretty good sized also." I did plan on buying some bedding though. Not to mention the curtains.

"That's good. I hope you can have a great start there." A small sad smile was on my face.

"Me too." I barely whispered.

He sighed. "I got to go Bells. I'm still at work."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

With that, we hung up. I got my rarely used pocket book ready and put an extra outfit in the bag for later, in case I decided to stop by Fangtasia for instance. This is what I planned on doing, along with the shopping. I made sure my new keys were in my pocket before I headed downstairs. Adele was sitting on a stool by the counter in the kitchen talking on the phone. When she saw me, she made up an excuse and hung up the phone. She must not have wanted to talk to them.

"Oh, the people around here have the wildest imagination sometimes," she laughed. I laughed with her. "Are you going somewhere, dear?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I was hoping to find a store to get a few things for school and my room. Do you think you can give me some recommendations?"

She smiled. "Of course! I'll write you some directions too." She listed a few stores in Shreveport and Monroe and wrote down the directions. I was glad that one of the stores was on the same road as Fangtasia. I thanked her and then I asked if she minded if I changed the curtains and bedding. She said she didn't, and I thanked her again. I asked her what size the bed was to make sure I got the right size. It was a queen. With a few more words, I gave her a hug before I went outside to my car.

On the way by, I stashed my extra set of clothes in my trunk. I put on some music and then headed onto the road. I went past Merlotte's and decided to get something to eat before I went. I hadn't really eaten much since breakfast this morning with Charlie. I pulled into a parking place and walked inside. Sookie was walking over from by the bar.

"Hey, Bella," she greeted.

"Hey, Sookie," I replied back.

"Are you here to eat?" she asked.

"Yeah. I haven't really eaten since breakfast, except a snack on the airplane."

Her face looked surprised. "Oh, honey." She pulled me into a hug. "Here, this is my section." She led me to a part of the restaurant and set me at a booth. "What do you want to drink?" she asked and handed me a menu.

"Coke, please." She went off to get my drink while I looked at the menu. They seemed to have just normal bar food, like burgers and chicken tenders and things like that. I decided to get the Burger Lafayette and French fries; it sounded really yummy. When Sookie came back, I told her and then she went off to put the order in.

I sat there looking around the bar. There were animals on the wall, and most everything was wooden. There were neon signs and pictures on the wall. The wall's bottom half was wooden and the top half had green wallpaper. There were green accents around the room as well. There was music playing on speakers in the background. I people watched until Sookie came back in around ten minutes.

As Sookie handed me my food, I asked her about Bon Temps High School. She told me how many classes a day there were, gave me some information about the teachers, and advice on how to find my way around. She said if I needed anything else, to just let her know, then went back to work. I started eating my food, which was delicious. At one point, a man came out and started talking to me. He had on a black mesh bandana with chopsticks that had gold and purple beads at the end, blue camouflage cargo pants, and a black and gray tank top. He was also wearing diamond earrings, eye shadow, and mascara.

"Hey. I hear you's Sookie's cousin," he said in a thick southern accent.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm Bella."

I held out my hand for him to shake, and he took it. "Lafayette."

I smiled a little. "Cool name."

"Thank you, Bella." He smiled back at me. He opened his mouth to speak more, but a voice interrupted us.

"Lafayette." We looked up. It was a man with red, sandy hair and blue eyes. He had on a blue flannel t-shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. "Don't you need to get back to the kitchen?"

I perked up. "You're the chef?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

I smiled. "It's really good."

He smiled. "Thank you, Bella."

"Lafayette."

He rolled his eyes, but stood up. "I's talk to you later, Bella."

"It was nice to meet you." He walked back to where I assume the kitchen is.

"Bella?" The man asked me before taking the seat Lafayette vacated. "You're Sookie's cousin then?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He smiled and held out his hand, which I shook. "Sam Merlotte. I'm the owner of the bar. Sookie asked me if I could maybe give you a job part time. Would you want to work here? I'm a little short staffed."

"I don't know. I've never been a waitress before. I have a bit of a balance problem, and have a tendency to trip over air with nothing in the way," I explained.

He smiled. "It's okay. You'd get used to it. As for the balance, who knows? It may help."

I was still skeptical. "I don't know. I'll think about it."

He nodded. "Okay. What did you do in Forks, if you don't mind me asking?"

I shook my head. "I don't mind. I worked at an outdoors store as a cashier."

He looked surprised. "You don't seem like the outdoors kind of gal."

I nodded. "I'm not. There aren't many choices in Forks."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, let me know when you decide."

I smiled and nodded. He smiled back before standing and going to the bar. I continued to eat with Sookie occasionally checking on me. I also thought about whether I would work at Merlotte's or not. It would mean extra cash by tips, but my balance is terrible. I could give it a try, I suppose.

Once I finished, I put a tip on the table for Sookie and stood up. She came over then and handed me the bill. Just to make sure, I asked Sookie which way to get back on the Parrish Road to get to Shreveport. She gave me her cell phone number and said to call if I get lost. When she asked why I was going to Shreveport, I told her there are more choices to shop.

I walked up to pay the bill, and told Sam I would work here. He said he would give me a few days to get used to things before I started. I could pick up the uniform the day before, and to just give him my shirt size. I would also need a pair of black shorts and pants, since the weather here could get cooler in the winter. After this, I headed out the door.

Once in the car, I buckled up and pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the Parrish Road in the direction of Shreveport. The long and curvy road was dense with trees. Once they thinned and cleared and I knew I was in the outskirts of the city, I was feeling better. I made it to the shopping center and went to the bedding section. I found a comforter set that was a deep purple with lilac swirls. It came with lilac with purple swirls sheets and pillow cases, and even a deep purple bed skirt. I chose a matching purple set of sheets and put them all in my buggy. I found curtains next and they had a matching set of deep purple and lilac swirls.

After that, I found a couple of accents that were cute (and cheap) before I found the school supplies section. I got some pens and pencils along with a few notebooks and folders. Afterwards, I found the clothes section. I managed to find a few things, especially since the shorts and jeans were on sale. I even found the shorts and pants for the Merlotte's uniform. I looked at the shoes for a minute, just in case. I found a cute pair of flip flops that I could wear tonight and at school.

Since that was all I needed, I went to check out. It was a quick process, and I was putting things into the trunk of the car in only a few minutes. Since I found everything I needed plus a few things at the shopping center, I planned on how I was going to change. I wasn't going all the way back to Bon Temps, especially since it was nearly nightfall. I decided to make a quick change in the back seat. I managed to do that at the lesser lit end of the parking lot with relative ease. My new shoes were comfortable.

Since I wanted it to look like it took a little longer, I drove to the bookstore on Industrial Avenue right down the road from Fangtasia. I ended up finding two books in the thirty minutes I was in there waiting for the bar to open. I dropped the books in the trunk and drove the short way to Fangtasia. I got my ID out and the $5 cover charge before I opened my door.

I walked over to the end of the small line. There was a blonde female vampire at the door dressed in black leather. She looked bored. When it was finally my turn, she looked me up and down before 'hmm'-ing. She ran her tongue along her lips and I saw her fangs peeking out slightly. Instead of being frightened, I was awed and curious.

"You smell delightful. ID please." I didn't hesitate to hand it over. She looked hungry. She glanced at it. "18?" I nodded. She stared at me for a moment. "As long as you don't drink you can come in. Why are you here anyways?"

I answered her honestly. "I'm curious."

She smirked a little. She reached behind her to a table to get a white bracelet. "Wrist." I held out my wrist and she put it on. I had the feeling it was a good thing she didn't see the scar from James. "Go on in. No charge." I was stunned.

"Thank you," I answered. She smirked in response.

She stepped to the side and I walked in the door. I looked around, surprised. It looked just like my dream. This included the blond haired, blue eyed vampire sitting on the throne in all black. I was nervous to meet his gaze like my dream so I went to the bar. The bartender was probably Native American and had extensive tattoos and his fangs extended. He had on dark jeans and black leather vest opened, revealing a sculpted chest.

"What'll it be?" he asked as I walked up. He glanced at the bracelet on my wrist.

"Do you have Coke?"

He nodded before getting a glass and filling it with the soda. He handed it to me and I gave him the money for the drink before I turned away. I found a table in the corner and sat down. I took a sip of Coke before putting it on the table. I looked around. It was disturbing how much, or rather how little, most everyone was wearing. I saw the blonde vampire from the door walk up the stairs of the stage and lean down to talk into the man's ear. I got a twisty feeling in my stomach a second before he turned to meet my gaze.

I was suddenly unaware of the rest of the bar. My eyesight was now tunnel vision on him. I briefly wondered if this was what Sam had with Emily; one look and it wasn't a choice anymore. He lifted up a hand towards me and moved two fingers in the sign of come here. I was confused but my body propelled itself into motion. I grabbed my drink and walked towards the stage.

A little over halfway there, a man stepped in front of me and grabbed my arm in what I assumed was supposed to be seductively. My face felt annoyed. Before he had the chance to say anything, Door Vampire was beside me.

"Let her go. Now." Her voice was calm and even, but you could tell she wasn't happy. He released me. "Now apologize."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said obediently. Then, he turned and left.

I turned to the vampire. "Thank you," I said, glad she interfered.

She shrugged before escorting me to the stage. Once up the stairs, she went to stand by Throne Vampire. He stared at me, making me uncomfortable beneath his gaze. I took a sip of my drink to have something to do. Finally, he spoke.

"Isabella Swan, 18, from Forks, Washington." His voice was velvety yet hard and filled with hidden desire plus a hint of boredom.

"How do you know that?" I thought I already knew though. She read my license.

Door Vampire pointed to her head. "I never forget a pretty face. You're in my vault."

I looked back and forth. "Do I get to know your names since you know mine?" I asked.

The man smirked momentarily, so fast I barely saw it. "Why not? I'm Eric, and this is Pam." Wow. Regular names, though so were the Cullens.

"Nice to meet you," I greeted; though I felt slightly silly, it seemed the right thing to do.

Eric smirked and let out a small chuckle. "You're entertaining; a rare quality in a breather."

"Thank you," I replied, not sure what else to say.

"Please... sit." He gestured his hand to one of the chairs beside him. He was actually smiling, though it was menacing. I nervously obliged. The chair was soft red velvet on the seat, smooth wood on the arms and legs, and fur on the back. I tried not to think if it was real or not.

I took another sip of Coke before holding it in my lap. I noticed the people throwing themselves at him, or attempting to do so, at the edge of the stage on the floor. They looked jealous, or desperate.

"So, I hear you are curious of us. What would you like to know?" he asked, leaning against the arm looking at me.

I was surprised into silence. He was offering to answer questions I had, but at what cost? Thankfully, my past relationship with the Cullens had me thinking about that. With that came my first line of questioning.

"You want to answer my questions?"

He smirked a little. "Yes."

"At what cost though?" I questioned.