Lost Within the Shadows

Chapter Three

This will be a longer chapter, I hope! Thank you for reading!

When I got back home from school, naturally Mom and Dad bombarded me with questions.

"How was it like?" Mom asked.

"Did you meet some nice people?" Dad asked.

Melanie giggled, clapping her hands together.

"Guys, one at a time, please," I muttered. I wondered what Mallory, Katie, Laren, Lucas, and Vincent were doing. They had exchanged phone numbers with me, so they said I'd expect a call sometime.

"It was… school. And yes, I met some people," not all were as nice as the ones I was referring to.

My mind instantly turned to Raven. She was extraordinarily beautiful and graceful, it was inhuman. Inhuman…

The phone rang, and Mom picked it up. Before long, she called me into the kitchen.

"It's for you," she said.

I picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Danni? It's Katie!"

"Oh, hi," I said, glad that somebody had called me. Sure, if it were Raven I'd be happier, but you know… There's just something about her that I can't get over.

"What's up?" Katie asked.

"Oh, you know, receiving the annoying questions from the parents," I complained.

"I avoided that, my parents aren't home. Hey, wanna come over? We could walk to this neat little diner that's close to my place. You'd have to have your parents drop you off, though."

"That sounds fun, let me check," I said. I put the receiver on the counter and walked into the family room where Mom and Dad were with Melanie.

"Hey, Katie invited me to come to her place, so we can walk to this diner that's by her house. You'd have to drop me off at her house, though," I said, using my friendliest tone and my puppy dog eyes. They always worked.

"Sure!" Mom said, sounding very happy about it. "Just find out her address and I can drop you off!"

"All right, thanks," I said, and went back to the kitchen, picking up the receiver.

"My mom can drop me off. What's your address?" I asked.

She told me her address, and we said our goodbyes. I slid my sandals on and my favorite black beanie and I perched it on my head so that it drooped off the back of my head.

I got into Mom's car, on the passenger side, and Mom climbed into the driver's side.

"I can't wait until I can drive, so I don't have to have you chauffer," I said.

"Yeah well you've got a year to go," Mom said.

I switched on the radio, and she drove in silence. I stared out the window, glad it wasn't raining for a change. Thick clouds filled the sky, and it was cooler outside, but it wasn't raining. At least the clouds weren't grey and low.

Mom dropped me off at Katie's house, and I climbed out of the car, smoothing my skirt. I knocked on the door, and Katie answered it.

"Hey!" she said.

I smiled. "Hey."

Katie's blonde bob really accented her face, I realized. Katie pulled out all of her hair products and makeup, and I grinned. She'd do my hair and makeup before we left.

Katie braided my hair into a fishtail braid, and left it over my shoulder. Then she used a bit of liquid eyeliner and grey eye-shadow, as well as a tint of blush. I looked in the mirror and I looked so much older.

Katie redid her own makeup, using a bit of lilac colored eyeliner and mascara. The lilac shade brought out her eyes. There wasn't much that she could do with her short hair.

Then, we headed outside. Katie locked the door behind us, and we walked on the bumpy, crack-filled sidewalk. We talked.

"So, did you see the guy hanging out with Raven this morning?" Katie asked.

"No, I didn't see Raven until I had her in my homeroom and English periods," I said, feeling like I missed something.

"Well he was flawless and just as graceful as her, Victoria, and Bailey. He has that beyond amazing, natural black hair, and dark eyes and pale skin," Katie said. It sounded like she was gushing.

"Wow," I said. It seemed those features were a tradition in the beautiful, flawless, graceful, rich kids.

"I know he's nothing like me, I mean, I'm a cheerleader girl and he's Goth, but I'd love to get to know him, you know?"

"I know what you mean," I said. I wanted to get to know Raven Cullen so desperately.

"Maybe we can get to know him together," Katie said, and she winked at me.

I laughed. "Like he'd hang out with two cheerleaders! Those Cullens' act like their better than everyone!"

"Right!" Katie joined in on my laughter, and it was like we were old friends, united from long ago.

When we got to the diner and walked in, what we saw first shocked us both.

Raven, Victoria, Bailey, and the guy I'm sure Katie was talking about were sitting in a booth, in complete isolation from everybody else.

Mallory, Lauren, Vincent, and Lucas were sitting in a table in the middle of the dining area, just like at school. I had realized then that everything from school carried on outside of the cafeteria and classes, in reality.

Mallory waved us over, grinning. "Katie, Danni! Imagine seeing you two here!"

We rushed over, and I realized that the guy with Raven was looking at me. I felt self-conscious and blushed. Guys rarely looked at me like I was something to eat.

I hadn't realized at the time how true my thoughts were.

Maybe I was something to eat.

I shook the thoughts out of my head, and sat down where Lauren gestured to me.

"Have you guys ordered anything yet?" Katie asked.

"Nah," Mallory said.

A waitress walked over to us. "Can I take your orders?" she asked us.

We all ordered the same thing, a vanilla milkshake, as well as a large platter of fries for us to share.

She smiled at us again, and left back to the kitchen through some doors.

"So, I have more questions about the Cullens'," I quietly said.

"What do you want to know?" Lauren asked.

"Who's the guy?"

"I figured she'd ask that," Katie said, laughing.

"Oh well, that's Jonathon. He really doesn't want to be called John, like most people who are called Jonathon. He's just like the rest of them," Lauren filled in for me.

I glanced over at them, and Jonathon kept looking at me. It was very intimidating. I noticed that they didn't have any food in front of them. Why would you go to a diner and not get anything?

I heard the manager on duty quietly talking to them. He told them if they weren't getting anything that they should leave. That's when two very young adults walked in, barely graduated from high school, I could tell.

They introduced themselves to the manager, calling themselves Bella and Edward Cullen. Edward looked very charming, and he grinned at the manager. The manager apologized to them, and they got up and left. I heard Raven call Bella Mom, and Edward Dad, so I was assuming that Bella and Edward just looked young and weren't really. But then I remembered Raven was adopted, and that anything was possible, to be honest.

"Well then," I muttered, under my breath.

"What? Vincent asked.

I smiled at him. "Nothing," I replied.

Vincent looked like he was falling for me, which was bad. I wasn't interested at all. Vincent was a nice guy and all…

Lucas grinned when the milkshakes with extra whipped cream and the large platter were delivered.

"I'll be back with the check," the waitress said.

I took a long slurp of my milkshake, sucking the thick liquid up the straw. Everybody was so focused on their milkshakes, I nearly choked while chuckling.

"What?" Vincent asked.

"We're so focused, it's humorous."

Vincent laughed along with me.

I grabbed a fry and took a bite of it, and realized it was very hot. I nearly burnt my tongue.

"Careful there," Katie said.

I took a drink of my milkshake, letting it soothe my tongue.

Eventually, we were all done with our milkshakes. Nobody really liked their cherries, except Lauren and me, so we ate them.

I was really beginning to like Forks.

Ok well that wasn't long at all…. I am so sorry! .-.