(AN) Delilah has her insecurities. Her birthday isn't until the Fall, she's still twelve (by the way, I think I messed that up in an earlier chapter). I really love Delilah, and I think she comes off as a bit spoiled in this chapter (obviously her family loves her very much and she's being ridiculous), but living in the shadow of your older siblings can be a lot for anyone. My younger brother has stated on numerous occasions that "There were times I hated you, just because you seemed so perfect." Obviously I'm not, and Echo/Eva/Blaze aren't, but it's just the way you perceive things. Delilah just has to grow into her own skin a bit, we all know that she's capable of being pretty kickass.
The prom dresses are linked to on my profile page :-)
Chapter 3: Green
It was too quiet now. The song had finished playing. We sat around the table and ate our food, and it barely tasted like anything. "That was too close." Leah whispered softly, ruffling Blaze's hair as her lips barely moved.
"I know." Echo answered. "I'm sorry."
"Not your fault." Eva responded automatically. "Those…those…"
"Assholes." Daniel finished for her. I reached over, across the table, to gently touch Echo's hand. She didn't look up, but just squeezed my hand quietly.
The truth was, we all lived with a secret, at least one big one. We all shared it, we all lived it.
The giant wolves melting out of the snow, Echo's voice. The time I realized that the entire world I lived in was different from the world everyone else knew. The day I first felt the fire in my veins, felt it dance and surge, like an entirely different living being, the ability to teleport from one place to another, the entire world at my fingertips.
Our world was magic, but nobody else could know. They'd think we were freaks of nature, or maybe even lock us up. We spent our time trying to act normal, live normal lives, and protect the people who really were normal.
It was late by the time we got home. Daniel had drove Seth's cycle home, and I'd rode with Leah as she drove Paul's. Eva had slipped on the back of Isaac's, which Echo parked in our driveway. The lights were already on, Mom was on the porch. Her eyes skipped over our faces, lingering on each one, but it was Echo she went to first.
"Oh honey…" She whispered, crushing Echo to her. Echo had to lean part way over, she'd grown taller than mom a long time ago, but looking at her now made it seem like she was just a kid again. It was awful to think of. Dad slipped out behind her and pulled Echo into a very similar hug, his eyes warm and understanding.
"It's alright, Coco." My dad soothed, softly stroking her hair. Blaze and Eva managed to sneak past the two of them, but I wasn't quick enough.
"Are you okay, Liley?" Mom asked, grabbing my shoulder as I tried to duck in. I turned to look at her, biting my bottom lip.
"I'm fine, really." I smiled. "Isaac's the one that we should worry about, and Echo." I added on, my eyes flashing to my sister. I didn't know if she heard me or not, Dad was talking to her softly, his eyes warm and comforting.
Mom just nodded, and I took that opportunity to escape, because I was too close to spilling my secret. The secret I'd only confided in the pages of the spiral bound notebook that I kept as my journal, the ones with the pictures of my friends and family tucked between the pages that I hadn't found frames for yet.
The secret that I couldn't tell anyone, because if I did, I would hurt the people I loved. So I went up to my bedroom, passing Eva and Blaze in the hall and not listening to their whispered conversation. I didn't even bother scrubbing off the mascara and eyeliner I'd borrowed from Joy. I changed into my pajamas, and curled up into a ball, and tried to sleep. Eventually, Prince, wandered into the room and poked his nose up on my bed.
"Hey boy." I whispered, scooting over to make room for him at the foot of the bed. He stretched and jumped lithely onto the bed. I laughed softly. "Still got some grace for an old man." I whispered. I managed to fall asleep easier after that.
"Hey princess." A soft voice woke me up, warm hand shaking my shoulder gently. "Are you going with us?"
I yawned, pulling the blankets over my head. My dad chuckled and pulled them back down. I glared at him as menacingly as I could. "Why are you going?" I snapped. "You don't like to go shopping."
"Somebody has to keep the girls in check." He said easily, brushing off my anger, but I noticed when he spoke he looked over at Echo's bed. That was unfair, that just made me feel guilty.
"And Echo needs the distraction, the more people the better." I finished softly. "Y'know, she's not five."
"Yeah, but it's not everyday your…boyfriend." I giggled at the way he said the word, like it was agonizing to even think of. "Turns into a big wolf in a public place. Be nice to her Liley."
"I'm always nice." I protested. He laughed.
"Sure, sure. Get up." He ordered, agilely getting off my bed and slipping from the room. Echo and Eva were nowhere in sight, the bed was even made. I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
"Delilah!" Mom yelled, "Are you eating before we leave?" I sighed. In the middle of our fairytale life, things were as normal, domestic, and boring as could be.
Echo and I rode with mom and dad in the old car, the one that ran as smoothly and surely as any newer model according to Echo and Dad. Echo had her MP3 player running, the one Esme and Carlisle had bought her for Christmas. She sat quietly, looking out the window. Mom was driving, but as she typically did, she was holding dad's hand. They weren't speaking, they didn't need to.
If someone loved me, I would want them to love me as much as my dad loved my mom. You could just see how much he adored her whenever he looked over. They were like two halves of one whole, like two moons in gravity around each other. If mom wanted dad, she didn't have to say anything, she didn't even have to look at him, he was just there.
I sighed hopelessly and buried my head in Entertainment Weekly. I was so lost in the adventures of the new starlets, that I barely realized the car had stopped until Echo lightly touched my arm and the door on my side of the car opened.
"Liley!" A bell-like voice chimed, pulling me out of the car and into a tight hug. Her cold granite skin was comforting. I grinned, pulling back and kissing Alice's cheek.
"You grew, again!" Alice accused. "You're taller than me now!"
"She's almost thirteen, Alice." My mom said softly. I looked over to see her next to my Aunt Bella. "She's growing up."
"I'm only a little taller than you." I pointed out. "I can fit into clothes a bit better."
Alice sighed, but smiled and pulled away, eying my outfit critically before nodding in approval. "And you look beautiful, very chic." She smiled, kissing my cheek, before moving on to Echo on the other side of the car. "You on the other hand…"
"Missed you too, Aunt Alice." Echo smiled, leaning down to kiss the doll-like woman on the head.
"Would it kill you to wear a skirt every so often?" Alice asked petulantly. "Your legs are perfect; it's a shame to not show them off."
"It might kill my dad." Echo said smugly. My mom had to turn her laugh into a cough at dad's outraged look.
"Alice!" Stella called as their car pulled in next to ours. She got of the front seat as Paul and Eva slipped out of the back. Alice attacked Eva without another word, leaving us amused.
"How are you feeling, Coco?" Bella asked, gently hugging my sister. "Your mom and dad told us what happened."
"I'm fine." Echo replied, too brightly. "I mean, it's not like I never expected it. Dan and Ty both changed."
Bella's marble forehead creased in worry and she smoothed Echo's dark hair back. Edward ducked around the girls to find me, grinning as he tapped my head. "Hey, big sister getting all the attention again?" He asked.
"Story of my life." I quipped back, fishing out my camera. "Hey, I wanted to show you something cool." I said brightly, turning it on. He ducked behind my shoulder. I flipped through the images on my camera, until I came to the one I wanted to show him.
"We were chilling out with some of the girls from Forks, and we were walking past that old yard where everybody dumps their junk, and somebody just threw and old piano there, isn't that insane? I mean, it didn't work…but I thought it was such a waste. So we took pictures with it." I explained, showing him the picture of Joy, her dark curls tumbling over the ivory keys. He smiled, plucking the camera out of my hands and flicking through them. His eyes softened slightly, and he handed the camera back to me.
"I like that one best." He said softly. "You should take more pictures of yourself." He commented. The picture he was showing me was one I'd taken out of boredom, me in our garage, poised among the mechanical entrails strewn about.
"Why?" I asked, scrunching up my nose. "I know what I look like."
"If you actually knew what you looked like, you wouldn't be so jealous of Echo." Edward whispered gently. "You're young, but you're more than just Echo and Blaze's baby sister."
I paused, letting that sink in for a moment, before beaming up at him. "Did you get that all from my mind in the past couple minutes?" I asked happily.
"I know you, Delilah. I've been watching your mind for almost thirteen years, and it's a lovely thing to watch." He reassured. I blushed bright red, to the roots of my hair. Edward laughed and guided me back to the group. I didn't even mind the fact that Echo was the center of attention anymore. I was able to sit quite still with my magazines in the corner of the dressing room.
"Alice, I'm tired." Echo finally whined. "Can I please sit down for a second?" I looked up, amused.
"One more dress, please?" Alice pleaded, pulling out a deep, royal blue gown. Echo rolled her eyes and took the dress. Alice suddenly smiled.
"Turn around, face Delilah." Alice ordered, steering Echo away from the mirror. "You're going to love this one."
"Help me." Echo mouthed quietly. I giggled, just as the cell phone our family shared went off. I was closest, so I reached for it, flicking it open.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Echo?" A rough sounding voice answered, one I could only vaguely place.
"No, it's Delilah." I responded. "Who's this?"
"It's Isaac. Is Echo around?" He asked hopefully. I nearly jumped with the realization, handing the phone out like a hot potato.
"It's for you, Coco." I said softly. She leaned over, looking at me questioningly as she picked the phone out of my hand.
"Hello?" She said softly as Alice zipped up the dress. Her eyes lit up and she smiled, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she breathed out his name in relief. "Isaac."
My mom turned from Eva and Stella to look at Echo as she continued her conversation, Bella was smiling now as she twisted Echo's hair into a neat bun. She was only on the phone for a short time, but I saw the weights fall off her shoulders.
"He said he's feeling pretty rough." She said to mom, handing her the phone. "He just wanted to call to let me know he still intended on taking me to prom and that he's going to see me as soon as it's safe." She kissed mom's cheek happily, as Alice spun her around. I heard her gasp in surprise, because the Echo in the mirror looking back at us was irresistible in the blue mermaid gown, the rhinestone beading glimmering in the light. Eva moved beside her, her blonde hair falling around her shoulders and her dress with the layered blue skirt and corset top making her look every inch like Cinderella. I sighed. They were the Disney princesses, and I felt like the ugly duckling in comparison.
It was so unfair. Alice signaled the guys somehow, and they entered the room, each looking absolutely stunned at the two girls in their dresses. Echo hopped off the dais, dancing up to me with enviable grace.
"Do you like it? You're the expert on this kind of stuff." She asked lightly. I smiled.
"It's perfect. You're perfect." I stated. She kissed my forehead before Dad hugged her tightly.
Perfect.
And I was perfectly green with envy.