Stuck Between a Vampire and a Hard Place

Chapter 4: Boy in the Corner

Great.

Okay, I had to admit that this wasn't going to be easy, so if the situation really called for it, I'd kindly ask one of my friends to perhaps… throw me through a wall, maybe make my lungs implode a bit, electrocute me, become a flesh eating parasite and invade my brain, or even make some gangrenous thing grow on my face. Whatever could distract me the best.

Oh, well, I sighed, at least you're still somewhat sane, Raven dear.

I'd spent the entire hour thinking about him. If I wasn't crazy, then I had to be mentally unstable.

Throughout our little walk up to the Cullen's house, everyone teased about my blush and embarrassment.

Oh… dear… j-just- just kill me.

"Why is it that you guys persistently continue to torture me? Specifically now, with Carlisle?" I asked with a solemn growl.

"Well… when you say it like that… it almost sounds like you're calling Carlisle your tormentor, too," Regan commented. How could she always find the faults in my grammar?

If I had the ability to, I would so cut off the circulation to my cerebrum.

"Well, Raven, how long has it been since you've had a relationship? Huh?" Shadia said jumping in front of me. "You haven't exactly had a love-life lately."

I let out my breath and stopped in my tracks. "Guys…" I moaned.

Their faces gave way to the fact that they weren't going to let me back out of this one, either.

I rolled my eyes around everywhere as if to find the answer written somewhere in my vision. "Five or so hundred years… I guess." I stopped playing their joke. This wasn't funny for me. Even though I seemed so erratic about Carlisle, deep down, I was permanently scarred. And I didn't expect anyone to fill the void left behind.

I once said that I didn't like telling that story. Little did I realize at the time, that I can't tell a lot of my stories because of that.

Oh, well, I don't really have anything to lose but my joy.

That little experiment that went all wrong. The death of seven and birth of six. It sort of explains itself.

He died. Shadia, Edelle, Mia, Michele, and I… yeah, we survived.

I couldn't explain it; it just happened like that.

The cruelness of the situation. That "he" was my first and only, out of all my five hundred and thirty nine years, I never found another like him.

And I regret my life because he lost his.

"You know how much I don't like dating… after… Sam." I paused after saying his name. "I won't let that type of thing happen to me… again."

And at that, it got real quiet.

"That only gives you more of a reason to date someone!" Shadia said, apparently not touched as the others were.

"Ok, sorry, Raven... we'll shut up now until we get to the house," said Edelle.

"Guys…" Mia complained to them. She was always the one to surrender to the right thing and stand up for me. I deeply thanked her for that.

I guessed that bad memories were the only things that could keep Carlisle of my mind. If I were a bit more optimistic, I'd say something sarcastic like: Wow. What a relief…

But at least I'd gotten off the track of Carlisle.

The six of us walked to the threshold. Clenching my teeth tightly, I let out an ugly sigh.

"Ok, you guys, no messing around or teasing," I demanded.

"Fine…" Michele grunted, "But next time we do!" She playfully nudged my shoulder, but I was too engrossed in my preoccupied thoughts to notice at that moment.

I gave her a dumbfounded stare. Seconds later, "And Shadia... please, try not to be obnoxious."

She slowly smiled back. Why did I even bother?

Edelle rang the doorbell.

Oh, boy…

I could've sworn I heard them all gasp when Carlisle appeared at the entrance. I had my eyes closed, fearing his beauty.

"Hey, Carlisle! Long time no see!" Edelle laughed as she greeted him again.

Carlisle chuckled as he did before. I needed to plug my ears as well, but I didn't want to look like a complete freak.

"Hi, I'm Michele, this is Mia and this is Regan."

"Truly a pleasure to meet you," he said shaking their hands. Then, as I could feel beneath my feet, Mia shifting to the side, it opened a path for his eyes to rest on me.

My eyes still blocked by my refusal to see, I could still sense his magnificence capturing me within his glance.

"Hiding, I see… am I really that scary?" Carlisle humored as my eyes slowly opened. I heard my friends all giggle under their breath.

Beauty. The meaning was right in front of me.

Oh, not this again…

I was once more speechless at the gifted sight of him, but as he gestured for us to come in, it wasn't just my lips that couldn't move.

Someone help me!

My thoughts were of no use here to people who could not read them.

As the almost final guest walked pass Carlisle, I knew I was hopeless and bamboozled.

His butterscotch eyes immediately found their way to mine and stared with such a curiosity. His lips formed a half-smile as he waited with humorous patience.

"Would you like to come in, Miss Raven?" he asked with such a charm.

Thankfully, Mia popped up right behind him. "She does this when she's nervous… Don't worry, she's not crazy… yet."

"Yeah, we're waiting on test results, but insanity is most likely confirmed," Regan commented from inside, making Carlisle laugh.

He smiled and took a few steps to where I stood distantly from the door, minimizing the distance between us. "Please, my family has been waiting to meet you all," he said with a hint of a lasting chuckle in his breath. His hand went to the small of my back and gently gave me the minor push I needed to start walking again.

Once I took my fourth step I finally gained my voice again, "Thank you, Carlisle… I needed a little shove to get me moving."

"T'was a pleasure. Don't worry, dearest, the nurses go through this all the time."

I chuckled in reply. Nurses? A doctor… my kind of guy…

I stepped into the house and stopped short after Carlisle closed the door behind us and kept walking towards the others. Regan suddenly appeared behind me.

"You're right, he is cute."

I scoffed at her and smiled.

This very contemporary, yet modern room was stunning. The artwork seemed old-fashioned… coming from me- that meant way before Edgar Degas and Michelangelo… But to me, this looked more like 1600s maybe mid 18th century at most.

I know my art. But these… didn't look like copies?

My mind was moreover preoccupied with my surroundings.

"Are you coming down to meet them or not?" Carlisle spoke, his eyes leading to a staircase.

And as beautiful as their father, they marched with sweet grace down the mahogany steps. My friends and I were beautiful. I'd never seen anyone within comparison before; but what my eyes now followed, were far more undeniable than us. So beautiful as if to conceive the thought that no living thing could be as awe-inspiring. Their white, nearly glowing skin appeared flawless, figures even Michelangelo could not have sculpted, hair with not one stray, eyes… as gold as honey.

Carlisle's eyes.

The mysteries that lie in their yellow irises imprisoned me in thought. How this exact match of pigment was somehow miraculously brought together in an adopted family, I was unsure. I contemplated on this problem with the fact that the same skin as well as the breathtaking beauty was moreover a monumental coincidence.

I had taken to thought much of this problem. But the thing was, this wasn't a problem. It just all seemed to be conspicuous… well to me. I guess I was the only one who actually tried to notion truth and surmised Carlisle's words of family information.

But then again, maybe I was just naïve.

Back in reality…

"Hi! I'm Alice! So happy to meet you!" Spiky said. I guessed that I'd named her that in my subconscious body. Hopefully, I hadn't said anything aloud.

"Mia!" I whispered with an urgent edge from behind her shoulder.

"Yeah?" she replied, still smiling from the bright greeting from Alice.

"I haven't said anything in like the past forty-five seconds, right?" I whispered.

"Nope, not a word."

I trust her on that.

Well, that was one warm greeting… the rest of them?

I noticed that Spiky seemed to be a little tense whenever she looked to this one guy in the back from the crowd. He stood with almost an indignant look before he seated himself on a couch in the shadows. His expression was a bit too far away as if he was indelibly concentrating. Either he found us un-amusing or he was antisocial. But really, this guy seriously looked like he had problems… bad ones.

Emmet, the big one, stepped forward and shook our hands firmly. Another thing hit me: wow, this kid is… meaty. Actually… no… this kid is… hard?

"Hey, ladies, how's it hang'n?" he said trying to be charming.

Rosalie, apparently Emmet's sister/protective stalker, seemed to be peeved at his flirting. She didn't even bother to say hello. What a stuck up blond… they're all the same. No offence, Edelle, you're the one exception. Oh! And Carlisle, too.

Then someone laughed. I didn't quite understand it, but I was pretty sure that Alice had cracked a joke to him. Still chuckling under his breath, an… amazingly… beautiful… man… that I hadn't seen coming down the staircase with others, came forward through the small crowd. "Hello, I'm Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you all."

My female friends automatically surrendered to his every feature.

Freaky. He kept staring at me. Out of curiosity or what? C'mon his dad liked me… wait- maybe on that one… But I really didn't want this to turn out like some overrated television series about father/son controversy fighting over one chick that wasn't really interested. More so… WAIT. Batman and Robin both fighting over Poison Ivy in that cheesy Arnold Szwarts movie. Now, that's a better analogy. Hey, don't judge; cinema is a great way to explain situations.

Edward really seemed to be cracking up now, as he personally introduced himself to us individually. I walked away before he could get a chance with me –not to sound cocky.

I turned my head to make sure I wasn't followed, and found no stalkers; but as I turned around…

"UGF!" I grunted as I saw whose back I'd smacked into. Honestly, it felt like I'd hit a brick wall.

"So sorry, Carlisle!" I nearly shrieked as I stepped back, blushing in embarrassment.

He seemed shocked at first before a little smile crossed his perfect lips, but truthfully it sort of looked faked, as if he was expecting it. –No! The smile was real! It was the pause and shock that felt acted.

"No, please, excuse me for being in your way," he spoke kindly and sincerely. But I could barely hear his words as I was forcefully captured into his realm of charm and beauty. Oh, how I'd love to… Stop!

My messed up face was so confused in a way. I dropped my hands to my sides and turned away in agony. I heard the room giggle around me, the pressure form Carlisle.

"I can't do this…" mumbled with pure humiliation and shame as I started to rush towards the door.

The voices started to hush down as my friends saw my mangled face.

"Ray, wait up! Where're you going?" Shadia questioned with her criticizing tone.

I whipped around and nearly pinned myself to the door. My breath racing and eyes nearly watering, I looked back and forth among the confused and suspicious faces.

"I don't know," I answered to Shadia before taking off full speed from the door, closing it quickly behind me. Just like how I wished I could close all my other problems as easily as that.

That boy in the corner- he was so distant the entire time. His family –besides Alice- barely took notice of his excommunication from everything.

Gossip avoided him. People avoided him, were even somewhat intimidated and maybe a little scared, too. Sheltered behind maybe either a reputation or something else that people could just feel.

I'd like that life. Even if I'd have to share it with him, I didn't think he'd mind me, and I wouldn't mind him. As long as I could keep my business and he his, I think we'd get along fine in our own little world- separated from all the others who laughed and kept up their social lives.

It was true. Bad things caused the only thoughts that could distract me.

Why was this my curse? Personal defeat was to be my only cure? I thought the world was cruel enough for what it did to Sam.

Sam was good.

And he died.

Now, hundreds of years later, I still hadn't gotten over it. I'd been condemned once to pain. Why did Carlisle have to bring another.

Answers I couldn't find, let alone understand.