So sorry for the long wait! I feel so bad about that! and then on top of it, I'm giving you a chapter that's not even 2000 words! You guys have no idea how bad i feel about this.

August

I turned my back on the mirror, not liking what it showed me. I ran my fingers through my hair that was now just a little damp and grabbed Riley's sweater as I left the bathroom. I walked back over to the bed and sat down, setting the sweater down next to me on the bed. It could get cold later and I didn't want to have to get it out again.

After a moment of thought, I bent down and grabbed my converses that were sitting next to the bed. I pulled them on and laced them up. It was clear that Riley wouldn't be back anytime soon after our fight, probably taking it out on some poor guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I sighed and stood up, heading towards the door. Even if I didn't have any money I was going down to the bar because I honestly didn't feel like just sitting there and waiting for Riley to come back. If he came back and I wasn't here, he could come and find me. I left the room and made my way downstairs.

Instead of being almost empty as it was before, the bar was about half full, mainly with men who already seemed to be starting on the nights drinking even though it wasn't yet evening. As I made my way to the bar, I passed a guy who wasn't more than a couple years older than me. He eyeballed me, his eyes going from my head to my feet and back up again as I passed. I self-consciously crossed my arms over my chest, causing him to laugh. I made sure that my seat at the bar was several down from his.

"What can I get for ya'?" The barman asked, leaning on the bar across from me.

"Just a water, please," I said, knowing that he had to give me the water free. It was a requirement.

"Hey, Butterbur!" Somebody down the bar called, "Come 'ere!"

The barman mumbled some thing under his breath and I only caught part of it, "…s'not my name. How many times do I got to tell 'em?"

He slid a glass a water to me and made his way down to the call, still mumbling. I started down into my water, not drinking it. I jumped when a glass was suddenly set down in front of me several minutes later, causing the barman, Butterbur as the men had been calling him, to laugh. "Courtesy of the gentleman down the bar."

I sighed and put my head in my hands, not needing to look down the bar to see who he had tipped his head to. It was no doubt the man from just a couple minutes before, trying to get my attention by buying me a drink. "Drink it. You'll be feeling better if you do."

I pulled my head up and look at the barman who was smiling at me. Only after I offered him a small smile did he walk away, going to tend to other customers. I looked at the drink he had set down in front of me and pulled it closer, moving my water out of the way. The drink itself was dark brown and in a clear glass, not unlike the ones you see on TV. I leaned forward and inhaled, letting myself breathe in the scent. It smelled sweet and even had a slight fruity smell to it. I could tell it wasn't beer for Charlie usually drank a can or two while watching a game or with dinner. But I could tell it was alcoholic and wondered for a moment if I should tell Butterbur if I was underage.

Bella Swan from Forks would never even think about drinking underage. She knew the risks of alcohol and knew how much trouble she could get in if she got caught, especially with her father being the police chief. But I didn't have to be that girl. I could be the girl in the mirror; the stranger, the detached girl. Maybe she doesn't care what others think, doesn't care if she gets in trouble. She could drink and flirt and not care one bit about it. Have all the attention on herself and not blush and stumble, but enjoy it. I could be that girl. I picked up the glass and took a drink.

The taste was definitely stronger than I expected, causing me to cough a little as it went down. It wasn't unpleasant, however; it had sort of a sweet taste to it, a little fruity, and maybe even a bit nutty. I smiled, thinking of what Riley's reaction would be when he found out that I had been drinking. He'd probably tell me I was an idiot, then demand to know where I had gotten it. I laughed quietly to myself and took another drink.

"I thought you might like that," a voice said from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder only to confirm that it was the guy from earlier.

He sat down next to me, much to my displeasure. "It's good. Although I must say I'm not much of a drinker."

"Mhmm," He smiled, "My name's Rodger. "

"Marie," I said without thinking about it. I didn't need to be telling my name to strangers, especially with all the people looking for me.

Once again his eyes roamed over my body. "Such a lovely name for such a lovely girl. But you said you don't drink?"

"Yeah," I said, not liking the way he was looking at me, "My boyfriend doesn't like it when I drink."

Rodger smirked. "Controlling boyfriend?"

I turned my head to glare at him. "Caring, not controlling. He doesn't want me to get drunk and do something I'll regret later like climbing into bed with some loser I just met."

"Now I know you ain't-"

"Oh, you know I'm talking 'bout you," I said, already sounding like the detached girl in the mirror. Normally I would have never said something like that.

For a moment he looked like he was going to strike me. "You ungrateful, little bitch! I buy you a drink and this is how you repay me?"

"Repay you?" I said with a snort, "I didn't ask for you to buy me a drink."

We were both on our feet by then. I reached behind me, my hand finding the handle of my glass. The old me had completely given over to the other me; the stranger had control of my body now and I didn't mind one bit. She knew what she was doing.

"Your eyes were just screaming at me to do more than just buy you a drink."

I narrowed my eyes at him and started to bring my arm around, drink in hand. Just as I went to throw my drink o him, however, the door to the pub opened and it grew quiet. Everybody's eyes, including Rodger's, moved to the newcomers, and then quickly looked away as if afraid. There was a tension in the air, as if there was some danger present that I didn't see or feel.

Taking my eyes off of Rodger, who was slowly making his way back down the bar, I looked to the closed door, which the two strangers now stood in front of. Although I couldn't feel the warnings that seemed to be coming off of them like everybody else could, one look at them had fear racing through my veins and my heart pounding. One look at their dark eyes and pale skin told me all I needed to know about them. They were vampires.

The stranger in me gone for the time being, I set my drink back down and quickly made my way back up to my room without looking back at the two newcomers. Once I had reached the top of the stairs, however, I realized that Riley probably wouldn't be back yet. There was a chance that he might, though, so I quickly made my way to our room.

I was faced with a new problem when I reached the door to our room; it was locked and Riley had the key. I groaned and yanked on the handle, hoping that the door would magically open, which it didn't, of course. I sighed and looked around the empty halls, hoping to find some sign of where Riley was. Finding none, I decided to start calling out. "Riley? Riley where are you?"

There was a soft click from down the hall, and I turned to find Riley standing a couple feet away from me, his eyes now a bright red. "Bella? Is everything okay?"

I shook my head, sure that I looked a little insane at that moment. "There's others here, Riley!"

"What are you talking about? There's a lot of other people here!" He moved forward and grabbed my arms in an attempt to calm me. After a moment of watching me, realization dawned on his face. "Others like me? Do you know them?"

I nodded. "Yeah, like you. There's two of them. But I don't know them. They're not Cullens," I hesitated a moment before adding, "They remind me of the Volturi a bit."

"Ahh, but we do know a Cullen…" stated a spidery from behind us.

"…by the name of Carlisle," said another voice, so like the other that I almost thought that it was one person speaking.

"And it would be in your best interests not to compare us to the Volturi again." Said the first voice, practically spitting out the name Volturi.

Riley and I both whipped around, Riley positioning himself so that he was half in front of me. The two vampires were watching us with strange expressions on their faces. Something about the two of them created a fear in me that only the Volturi had ever caused before, being one of the things that had reminded me of them. Something about these two also gave off an air of great age and wisdom, just as Aro, Marcus, and Cauis did.

"You know Carlisle?" I asked, my voice steady despite my fear.

"Not very well," the blonde one said.

The black haired one smiled. "Although it seems that you know him."

"We've met," I replied, my fear slowly starting to slip away, "Although it seems I might know him better than you two do."

"Hmm, it seems that she might just be what we're looking for…"

"…and her friend could be of use to us too." The blonde finished. They spoke as though they didn't realize we could hear or just didn't care that we could.

Riley growled at their words and I reached out, grabbing his arm in hopes to calm him. His eyes flicked back to mine, then forward again. He didn't growl but his body tensed even more under my hand. I let go of Riley's arm and moved to step around him, towards the two. I made it to his side before he stopped me, grabbing my arm just as I had done to him. My eyes flicked over to him then back to the strange vampires in front of us. I was interested in what they were saying.

"Who the hell are you?" Riley snarled.

"I don't think that's very important right now," The blonde stated, "I think what we want is much more important."

So sorry again for the wait and length. I feel so bad about that.

Points to anyone who can tell me where the barman's nickname came from without looking it up!

Please review!