Stephenie Meyer owns the Cullens, I own the original characters. This is just for entertainment reasons, no infringement or slander intended.

Chapter Six:

Edward was a vampire. The thought clung to me as a new sense of dispair wafted over me. I'd been allowed to go to school for the rest of my classes, but I was going to have to return as soon as the final bell rang. The look on my doctor's face would have broken my heart if another fear hadn't already seized it and refused to relinquish control.

I didn't remember walking into the crowded lunchroom once I'd parked Margie's car and climbed back out into the chilling weather. I didn't hear the voices or the buzz of conversation float around me as I paid for my bottle of water. It was the only thing I wanted right then, my stomach much too unsettled for food. But as I walked through the room, my eyes snapped back into focus. Edward was sitting at a table by himself, Alice chattering away happily in front of him. Both had breathtaking grins on their faces and I could tell that whatever they were talking about was a happy topic. One they'd been talking about for a while, judging by the animation lighting up Alice's frame. But when Edward saw me, all traces of that humor faded quickly. His eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, and he was on his feet. As much as I wanted to move, I couldn't. My eyes only lifted up to meet his when he stopped in front of me, lightly gripping my shoulders as he bent his knees to become eye-level with me. "Houston, are you all right?"

That question, filled with intensity, concern and fear, was what did it. My eyes quickly filled with tears and spilled over, soaking my cheeks within seconds. I'd been right in deciding against wearing makeup to cover the bruise that was now dark and painfully obvious. His hand moved to cover my marred skin and his cold touch sent a jolt through my system. I saw his face fall as I flinched away from him, my chin moving toward my chest as my eyes fell to my battered sneakers. "Sorry." I muttered helplessly and looked up when I saw Alice in my periphial vision. Suddenly the room felt like it was too small. The walls were closing in and air was seeping through the doors at an alarming rate. Now practically gasping, I just shook my head and lurched backward. My balance was off and I almost toppled over at least twice as I broke through the doors and onto the concrete outside. I could hear the commotion inside, feel the eyes on me as conversations halted. I made it out to the parking lot before I had to stop. My breathing was still ragged as I sagged against the trunk of Margie's car. Tears were still spilling over my cheeks but I couldn't force my hand up to wipe them away. I didn't even know if my suspicions were true! I had no idea if my imagination was just moving in overdrive. But as I slowly turned back around to actually sit on the car, I saw Edward making his way through the parking lot. Toward me.

I was already almost to the point of hyperventilating again when he finally reached me, but he made no move to touch me this time. His eyes were darker than I'd last seen them and the bruising that permanantly circled his eyes was more prominant as he stared at me. They were almost smoldering as he bent at the knees yet again to catch my gaze. I forced myself to look away dizzily, my head shaking unconsciously as I straightened up. My steps were shaky as I turned toward the driver's door. That time, Edward did reach out for me. Grabbing my shoulders, he easily spun me back around to face him. His jaw was set, eyes were growing increasingly more dark as they fixed intently on my tear-filled, dull green orbs. "What do you want?" I muttered helplessly, feeling like a complete mess in front of such perfection.

"I want to know what's wrong." There was that impecable dialect again. The impossible connection of words that had been lost centuries ago. They were only supposed to exist in stories about endless love and chivalry. "Talk to me, Houston. Who's car is this?"

"Margie's." I picked the easiest question to start out with. His hands still gripped my shoulders and one glance down let me know just how careful he was having to be with me. Or at least, it looked that way. The tendons in both hands were strained and raised the skin on his hands. Which were just as pale as normal. Everything started to connect again and I drew in a shaky breath as I forced myself to answer the rest of his questions. How many had he asked again?

"Who's Margie?" Another simple question. I liked simple questions.

"My foster mother. I had a doctor's appointment today and she didn't have to work." I replied quietly, my voice completely drained of any emotion as I continued to stare up at him. I was nearly to the point of sagging in his arms but I forced my knees to remained locked. His intense gaze alone could turn my joints to Jello but I wasn't letting myself focus on that. Instead I was taking in other aspects of his physical appearance. The skin that was the palest I'd ever seen. Even my own skin looked healthy and glowing against his.

"Is this connected to the appointment I took you to?" When I nodded, he trudged on, seemingly forgetting about the first question he'd posed. I could remember that one now, now that I was remembering how I fled from the lunchroom. "Why are you having so many doctor's appointments?"

"Why are you always absent when the weather's nice?" I countered with a question of my own. It wasn't quite the one I wanted to ask, but it was as close as my courage would allow me to get. "The real reason. No story about hiking with your family."

My courage took a serious hit when his expression grew even angrier. Edward released my shoulders and I nearly fell back against the car behind me. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Because I want to know." My voice evened out as I regained my footing. My eyes finally focused on his and I saw the anger pooling clearly in the nearly black orbs. "I also want to know why you looked at me like a disease during my first month of school here but now, you're suddenly remembering that I exist. Why you still do that sometimes when you think I'm not looking. I'm not stupid Edward, or blind. I'm not the only one with secrets here."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He hissed, his expression contorting into the image my subconscious had cooked up after I'd finally put away my book. "And why should I reveal all of my secrets when I have no hint of yours?"

Anger swelled in my chest as I stared at him. Thinking quickly, I looked down long enough to reach into my bag and pulled out my book. The thud of me slamming the book into his chest echoed through the vast parking lot and I held it there until his own arm coiled up to relieve mine. "Let me know when you've read that." I muttered darkly and quickly spun on my heel to escape into the car I'd been leaning on for support without even realizing it. Edward hadn't moved an inch when I looked back to manuevered out of the parking lot once the engine was roaring back to life. Unconsciously reckless, I just swerved out of the spot and hit the gas once the wheel was straightened out. I wouldn't let myself look in the rear view mirror as I pulled out of the lot and onto the main street in front of it. It was still too early for me to go back to the hospital, but right then, the last place I wanted to be was at school. Home was definitely not an option. Margie was still home and I didn't want to deal with her anymore than I suddenly wanted to deal with Edward. Our project was due today, he had everything he needed. If he chose to take my name off and claim all the credit for himself in retaliation, that was fine with me. The imending possibility of my future seemed to have very little to do with school as I parked in front of the hospital yet again and climbed out.

Making slow and calculated steps toward the front desk, I forced a smile and gave my name to the nurse behind the desk. She looked at me with the small, sad smile that I'd always been greeted me with and led me off in the direction I would need to go. Once in an exam room, I mechanically changed into the standard hospital gown attire and waited for my doctor to arrive. The woman, Dr. Copeland, greeted me with a smile that mirrored the nurse that had brought me in.

She didn't say anything until she was seated on a stool in front of me with her clipboard resting on her lap. "I'm pretty sure this all feels routine to you by now, Houston. But I do have a few things I need to go over with you. Is that all right?"

Shrugging, I kept my lips locked together as she started to read from the clipboard against her pantleg. Her white labcoat looked starkly out of place against her dark purple blouse and black trousers, her feet shoved into black, painful heels that looked more like boots than actual heels. Well, the heels I'd seen while roaming around malls randomly in my spare time. She was right as she read off the list of things I would need to know, they were things that I already did know. None of this was new to me. It was just another possible solution to my reoccuring problem. Once she was finished, I was moved into another room and promised that my clothes would be right where I left them. I didn't really care, only about my bag that was buried underneath my jeans, oversized sweater, underwear and jacket. Everything still felt routine as I lay back on an exam table, my bare waist covered with a paper blanket and my gown raised to my belly button. I didn't need to focus to see what the technician above me was doing, or what the piece of machinery to my right did. I knew why it was in the room and positioned so close to me. So when I felt the cool pressure from the tip of a pen against my skin, I had no reactions. It was just another mark. Another outward sign of the inner battle raging deeply within my tiny frame.

This would be my longest visit, the technician told me as I climbed off the table. The machine that had just been positioned and repositioned over me was pushed against the wall furthest from me, but I paid it no mind as I silently walked back to the first exam room I'd been put in. My clothes were just where I'd left them and the technician chattered on animatedly as she turned to give me some privacy. I wouldn't really have cared less as I tossed the gown aside and walked over to my clothes. Once all of the layers were in place, she turned back around to face me as I sat to put my shoes back on. Her voice never faltered once as she told me even more things that I already knew. I was already painfully aware of the side effects. Of what not to do so that the new marks on my body would still be there for as long as I needed them. I didn't even bother to see where the new dots were as I adjusted my sweater over my tattered jeans. My bag was thrown over my body once I had my jacket on and I spoke for the first time when the technician had to leave, calmly thanking her for what she'd done and that I would see her again at my next appointment.

My schedule was already made out and waiting for me when I arrived back at the front desk. Instead of leaving as soon as possible, my feet carried me toward the cafeteria. I'd always visited that place first whenever my past required an extended stay in the hospital of whichever city I was in at the time. Luckily, I hadn't needed one of those since the age of sixteen, when an illness almost completely derailed my progress. It would be just a matter of time before I was readmitted, idly wondering what new illness would try and cripple me in the next round.

I didn't stay long in the cafeteria and soon trudged over to the gift shop. But just as I was about to walk into the brightly lit room filled with flowers, cards, balloons and various other knicknacks, I stopped and turned around fully when I noticed a familiar blonde head of hair standing close to a familiar head of copper hair. Carlisle and Edward were at the end of the hallway, locked in what looked like a heated discussion. Judging by the way they stood and the anger I could see clearly evident on Edward's face, he wasn't hearing what he wanted. But what caused my heart to jump up in my throat was the book in his hand. My book. My poor copy of Anne Rice's masterpiece was gripped tightly in his hand, the cover catching the light every so often when it was thrown around by its holder's hand. As much as I wanted to walk over and hear just what Carlisle was saying to Edward, I forced myself to turn around and leave. I had to get home soon and give Margie the news. I also had to start thinking about other ways to get around Forks. The only good thing about all of this was that I already knew what to expect. I knew how tired I would get and there was already a note in my bag for my Gym teacher. That would be handled in the morning when I went back to school so I focused on the things I would need to do tonight. More important on the list was telling Margie and hoping against hope that she would want to keep me with her while I was going through this. It wouldn't surprise me if she didn't. Most foster parents didn't want to deal with sick children, even if all of my expenses were already going to be covered by the State of Washington. I just had to force myself to follow through with these plans and not let myself chicken out. That wasn't in my options anymore. My past really was coming back in full force. But luckily this time I wouldn't have to deal with the loss of normalcy that had disappeared when I saw Edward for the first time that day.