EEK! I was inspired. While trying to force out a quick installment for my 'Six Feet Under The Stars' story, which I had little to, well, basically no ideas for, I was suddenly completely, utterly, inspired to write a chapter for this story instead. It's actually kind of long, and I'm very proud of myself. *grin*
By the way, just a note about my 'Valentines Day' one-shot about Seth, it is a one-shot, so as completely amazingly thrilled as I feel whenever I get an email about someone adding it to their 'story alert' pages, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to continue it. It was totally fun to write though, and Seth is an awesome character, so, yeah... I wholeheartedly encourage anyone and everyone reading this to write their own Seth story. And make it good. I wanna read it :P
Hope you enjoy, I actually put some real time into this chapter--gasp! A totally new concept for me!--and had to minimize my windows several times lest my dad manage to read little snippets about Edward and Bella, so I hope you appreciate all of that! Haha, just kidding. Oh, by the way, I've decided that after all of those chapters that didn't really mean anything to the story (besides where she meets Seth. That had everything to do with the story. The story about how much I love Seth, that is) I'm going to hydrate frequently, take a shower (not that I don't do those things regularly already, just so you know) and power through the little details so that I can get some JACOB in here! Please enjoy my little reference to him! :)
--Oh my gosh, I'm writing SO much!--
Oh, just a tiny little thing, my friend and I are being vegetarian for February [actually before hand as well], and you're welcome to join us! VEG-FEB! Whooo! That is all.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all. Haha. I saw this as a Disclaimer for an 'Outsiders' story (awesome book so far, even though my reading of it is technically mandatory, you should read it if you haven't already!) and it made me laugh.
"How do I look?" I asked my Aunt after one more look at myself in the mirror. I had no idea what to wear tonight, but luckily Aunt Joan was only too happy to help. She didn't even seem to mind that I'd left school early. As she put it, "It's not like I haven't skipped a few classes in my day."
"You look beautiful," she said. Normally were someone to say that, I'd automatically assume they were joking, but she sounded so genuine that I couldn't help but feel a bit better about myself.
I looked over my attire. I was wearing a long sleeve black shirt, over top of which was an old T-shirt that Aunt Joan had found in the back of her closet. The picture and words on it were so faded that they were basically unintelligible, but it was a nice turquoise color. I also had a tan skirt that had a lot of basically useless pockets and went down to just before my knees.
"Thanks," I said, smiling as I applied some chap-stick. It wasn't like I wanted to look really nice or like I was trying to hard, but I did want to look semi-approachable, given that this was the first time I'd really be officially meeting anyone.
"So, you know the Cullens, right?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Hm, I do, I suppose. Carlisle—Dr Cullen—works at the hospital not too far from where I work. I met him once, last year, when I… fell down the stairs." She stopped herself from saying whatever it is she'd originally meant to say, making me wonder where exactly my Uncle Mo had been this whole time.
"Here, this'll go well with it," she said, handing me a black trench coat. "Oh, and when are you supposed to be headed over there?"
"Um…" I began. I didn't exactly want to tell her that rather than really being asked, I'd more been demanded to come, and I really didn't want to tell her that I had no idea when I was supposed to go, or when whoever was going to come and get me would, well, come and get me.
"I wonder who that is." Aunt Joan said, thankfully cutting my non-existent sentence off as someone knocked at the door.
She walked down the stairs and to the door, with me following shortly behind. She opened it to a smiling Bella. "Hello, Mrs. Davis, I'm Bella Swan. I'm here to pick up Juliet."
I was astounded at how good a first impression she'd managed to make on my aunt. "I'm all ready to go," I said, more to make my aunt realize that I was standing behind her than anything else. I slipped the jacket on and put on my tan boots—the only thing that'd really work to keep me safely dry outside where it was pouring rain.
"Of course, take care, Juliet," Aunt Joan said, shooting me a glowing smile that made me suddenly feel very guilty for leaving her alone on a cold, wet, Monday night.
"Bye, Aunt Joan," I said, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek in a way that would've made me feel very awkward with anyone else but for my wonderfully kind aunt.
I smiled lightly at Bella, who grinned, stepped out of the way, and led me to her truck. I shut the door behind myself, and followed her to the red, somewhat rusty vehicle that she seemed very proud of.
"Um, Bella?" I said, as soon as we'd both climbed in, done up our seat belts, and she'd started driving. I was trying my hardest not to read her mind, although it was definitely difficult. I'd discovered that I could just let all of the thoughts flooding into my head smudge together; it was easier to not really pay attention to any of them that way.
"Yes?" she asked, stopping at a stop sign before turning left past a group of people who looked about our age walking around the corner.
"Um, Edward and the Cullens, he said they were on a 'special diet', and I was just wondering, I know this'll sound totally ridiculous but…" I began, not even knowing where to begin, but I couldn't help but feel nervous about the incredulous thought that had popped into my mind as I finished getting ready.
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes flicking from the road to me with a very concerned look in them.
"They don't eat people, or anything, do they?" I asked.
Bella was silent for a moment, before she started coughing. My eyes widened, I was really hoping that what I'd said hadn't been true, but… It took me a few more minutes to notice that her coughing had turned to laughter.
"Wow, Jake would really appreciate that one," she said after she'd finally finished laughing, smiling sadly.
"Um, I'll take that as a no?" I asked, somewhat confused.
"That's a no," she said, a few giggles breaking into her voice as she spoke. "In fact, you could almost say that they're vegetarian."
We didn't speak again until she stopped her truck just outside of a really large, really nice, modern looking house that was just on the outskirts of town. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Edward appeared and opened her door.
They looked at each other with googly, in-love eyes, which made me feel a little like throwing up. It wasn't that they weren't sweet, or anything, but still. Having a third wheel wasn't very fun, unless you were riding a tricycle.
Very original. That was Edward's voice, although I still didn't know why I could hear his thoughts so distinctly, or how exactly he knew what I was thinking, but I didn't decide to take this opportunity to ask.
Follow me. He took Bella's hand and led her—with me following behind like some kind of lost puppy—up to the large front door, which he opened and help open while she and I entered the house.
Bella slipped off her shoes, and it was clear that she'd been here before. Me, with my awkward, shy streak emerging at just the right time, as always, I slipped my boots off as well and placed them next to hers.
"You must be Juliet!" I was hardly through the door when a short, black haired, pixie-like girl, came running up to me, grinning.
"H-hi," I said, quietly, my cheeks turning red.
"I'm Alice!" she exclaimed.
I smiled slightly, still feeling incredibly embarrassed. A few more people appeared in front of me, introducing themselves warmly.
A lady with brown hair was in front of me with a kind smile, she introduced herself as Esme. Next came a blonde man who held his hand in hers. He was Carlisle. Then there was a big guy, not big as in overweight, more 'big' as in he looked like he hit the gym at least a few times a week, but not like some of the guys—at least at my old school—who actually did hit the gym at least a few times a week, and always looked like they were trying too hard. That's confusing—his name was Emmett.
Next, clutching Emmett's hand, was an incredibly beautiful girl—oh, I forgot to mention, they were all incredibly beautiful. She was even more beautiful though—with blonde hair. She told me that her name was Rosalie, and walked away with Emmett. It was clear that she didn't want to have to talk to me, not at all because she was shy, but more because she was too good to talk to me.
Then there was Alice, who came up to me again, dragging a blonde guy with thoughtful eyes, and introduced him as Jasper.
All through out this I was standing in the entrance way, trying my hardest not to start hyperventilating. I wasn't used to meeting this many people at once, and ever since I'd been in Australia I hadn't had to. It wasn't like at school, either. Instead of just co-existing with a large group of people for a few hours, I was standing around with a group of people all solely focussing on me—minus Rosalie.
I had to think in short bursts, just trying to keep standing, and smiling somewhat pleasantly—well, I liked to think it appeared that way. It was probably more like a grimace.
My jacket was off—oh man, I really shouldn't have worn this. I look hideous. My hair is screwed up. Stupid rain. Why did I move here again, anyways? Oh right, my parents died…
I dragged my thoughts out of this funk that I was spiralling into, and tried my hardest to focus on Alice, who was apparently telling me something.
"…and you should really come shopping with me sometime. You'll need a whole new back-to-school wardrobe!" she finished whatever thought she'd been conveying to me with a grin.
I didn't have to look any further than Jasper's grimacing face to know that this was not a good idea. "Um, thanks, maybe some time…" I said, trailing off.
Edward whispered something to Bella. I probably could've picked out his thoughts from the haze that occupied on part of my mind, but I felt as though that would be invading his privacy somehow.
Bella nodded in agreement to whatever he'd said, and smiled at me, then Alice. "Why don't we take Juliet into the living room…" she said, letting Alice take the lead.
Alice grinned, nodded, and pulled Jasper behind her as she walked away, and presumably meant for me to follow—which I did. Behind me I almost thought that I heard the 'big' guy, Emmett, whisper something weird to Edward.
"So, new girl, huh. Why'd you bring her here? And what's she think of us?" Of course he wouldn't have asked that, though. That would be totally impossible, wouldn't it?
I couldn't hear Edward's response for Alice was saying something else to me, and Esme was talking about what she'd apparently spent the whole day cooking. For some reason, from the collection of opened cookbooks stacked up on a table near the couch I was sitting on, it didn't appear to me that they cooked very often. The smell wafting out of the kitchen, though, was delicious.
Why thank you, came Edward's voice. I raised an eyebrow. He wasn't even in the room—he and Emmett had disappeared somewhere along with Carlisle.
That was it, I decided, if he felt fine reading my thoughts, even though I had no idea how or why he could, then why was I so ashamed of listening to his? I put a hand to my head, as I suddenly had a splitting headache, but I wasn't about to let that stop me. I gazed around the room as I found the different thoughts to go with the different people. On Alice's mind was something about whatever she and Bella were discussing… Bella was thinking about—no, just because I felt fine reading everyone else's mind, I couldn't bring myself to do the same to her. She'd been nice to me so far, they all had, but for some reason, she was special.
Esme was concentrating on cooking a roast which seemed to be exceedingly difficult and unnatural for her to do. Rosalie was looking at herself in a mirror, thinking some rather unkind things about me…
Aha! I practically glowed with accomplishment as I'd managed to pick out Edward's voice from upstairs, streaming through not his own but someone else's thoughts.
"We should tell her as soon as possible," Edward said. Yeah, let's tell her, and now before dinner. I got enough of watching people eat at school, for God's sake. Humans could be really gross sometimes.
Emmett's thoughts, I concluded. I could tell it wasn't Edward's voice, and Carlisle definitely wasn't still in school.
Which reminds me, why do we go to school again, anyways? We might as well get this over with, let her know we're freaks, and then carry on with the evening. I mean, Bella's one thing, but two humans hanging around the house?
It was really weird how Emmett kept referring to humans as though he—they—were something different. Although…
"Let's just get this over with so that while she's running down the street screaming I can get back to my… business."
An image of Rosalie as I'd have preferred never to see her came into his mind, making me want to close my own, as he said this.
"Emmett, you know it's quite a big deal to tell someone that we're—"
Carlisle began. I could feel Emmett rolling his eyes, but without really meaning to, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, practically screaming at Carlisle to continue.
"Shh!" That was Edward. I felt like smacking him on the head for interrupting Carlisle just as he'd been about to say something that I couldn't help but feel was important. "She's listening."
"She's listening"? But I was listening—or at least I had been. So they'd been talking about me all along? I suppose I really should've known, but I was still rather stunned.
Just stick around for dinner, I promise that you'll know everything then. Edward thought, and I was beginning to catch on. It appeared as though I couldn't just read his mind, he had to specifically mean for me to hear certain thoughts. Maybe the same thing worked vice versa.
Sorry kid, but you're not quite as special as I am, he thought, and I almost detected a wry laugh in his voice. It was amazing how I could practically envision someone's face, just by hearing their thoughts…
"Alice, would you mind getting Edward and the others? Dinner's ready," Esme announced as she practically floated out of the kitchen and into the living room.
That was something else that I'd noticed, they were all incredibly graceful—and, even though Alice's makeup was a little deceiving, incredibly pale.
Alice nodded, bounced up, and disappeared, while Bella and Esme guided me out of the living room, and into a new room adorned with a long table and many chairs. There were only two table settings, one for me and one for Bella. Everyone else merely sat down in their respective chairs without so much as glancing at the food piled on our plates.
It all looked so delicious, but I was so nervous about whatever it was that Carlisle and the others were planning on telling me after dinner that I could hardly eat. Not wanting to appear rude, I took several small bites of all of the food heaped on my dish.
There was meat, potatoes, vegetables, bread, it was like a feast. A feast that only Bella and I were eating. While I was hardly touching my food, Bella was taking moderately sized bites and had nearly cleared her plate. I was glad that at least one of us was hungry.
I glanced around the table, only to see that virtually everyone was staring at us—although there didn't appear to be much else to do. It wasn't like there was any inspiring conversation going on or anything.
Esme smiled warmly at me when I caught her eye. Emmett was too busy staring at Rosalie—ugh! Mental picture from earlier please abandon my head!—and Jasper had his eyes closed in a sort of meditative trance type thing. Carlisle also smiled. Alice grinned. Edward looked like he was concentrating on something, and Bella was concentrating on her food. Rosalie was scoffing at both of our eating habits.
After a few more minutes, she said that she was finished eating, and we both thanked Esme and the others graciously for the meal, Carlisle cleared his throat, and said, "Perhaps we should discuss this in another room…"
Edward nodded, and everyone stood up before filing through the door and back into the living room. I, for one, was extremely glad as just the smell of food was making me feel a bit sick, I was so anxious.
I sat down on the couch, and Bella sat down next to me, while everyone else just stood. Bella put her hand on my own, smiling in a reassuring way. I was suddenly reminded of sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting to find out if my parents would make it. And then the nurse came out with a sombre expression that made the tears start flowing freely from my eyes, as I already knew what she was about to tell me. "I'm sorry, Miss Ero, but I have some bad news for you."
Only Carlisle didn't phrase it quite that way.
"Well, Juliet, there's something about us that you should know…" I glanced around the room at all of their either concerned, sober, bored, or sympathetic looks. Wait, Edward wasn't sympathetic about whatever Carlisle planned on telling me—ugh, I can't believe that he read my mind. What a jerk. I rolled my eyes pointedly in his direction, hoping that the others wouldn't find it rude. A small, sad smile formed on his lips, and I turned my full attention back to Carlisle.
He didn't even have to say it, for as soon as I was focussed on him, and the word came into his head, I couldn't help but say it out loud, if only to make sure that he wasn't joking.
"Vampires?!"
