Woo! Here's another update - just in time for Easter!

Enjoy!

LookAliveSunshine03

WARNING: some strong language (as is the case with most Beth-centred chapters *wink*)

Chapter 7:

Bomb-shell secrets

30th October 2011

Lovely Anna,

Great! Now I've got your attention. I'm not expecting you to read this, but it's eleven at night here, and I'm bored.

As you can probably tell by the date, it was Halloween today. Did ya know that I loved Halloween as a kid?! Last time I dressed up, I was fifteen. I went out with some friends and my brother. He was a rather fabulous Frankenstein. I was a zombie Minnie Mouse, if you can believe that. I looked fucking amazing. The picture is still in my purse. Bit crumpled now, but you can still see everyone.

Did you do anything to celebrate Halloween? Hm. I doubt it. Much too pagan for your lot, right? Anyway, it was funny tonight, watching all the kids scurrying from house to house in the dark with their sweet buckets, all dressed up like ghosts (haunted blankets more like; very unimaginative!) and other scary monsters. Even saw a couple of vampires. Lots of fake fangs and capes and 'I vant to seeerk yo bleeeerd!' Sigh. Wish I could say I'd never said that as a joke, but then I'd be lying. Teehee.

Some of the wolves even went out tonight. Quil's Claire is still old enough to enjoy trick-or-treating…actually I think they all did. Especially Seth, who went all-out and dressed as a zombie. He's such a big kid. Well, the dude's almost seven fucking feet, but you know what I mean.

Me, I decided to stay behind with Jake and Nessie and watch Scream. What's YOUR favourite scary movie? Serious question; I'd love to know.

How go the wedding plans? You've probably got my text about the bridesmaid dresses. They are all as sexy as fuck but I liked the first one best with the blue flower-bouquet. I like that Dora-dear used your scarf as inspiration. Was that your idea? Bet it was.

Is the new girl invited? She looks terrifying. I can't wait to meet her.

Anyway see you soon.

Beth spun and twisted her pen through her fingers in a flourish, sheathing it in her shirt pocket and putting her notebook away. Behind her the smell of bonfire smoke, coming from La Push, reminded her of the firework display she used to go to with her family every year, up at Brookwood Park.

Smiling softly (despite the ache in her heart), Beth brought out her phone, and began flicking through the pictures Anna had sent her a few moments ago. The first one was of a sketch in full colour. The dress was a pale blue toga, silken and scattered with gold and silver flowers. The second was of dusk-blue tulips and yellow roses, making up a beautiful matching bouquet.

Beth's finger swiped impatiently across the screen, past another purple bridesmaid gown with draping skirts…and she found the photo Anna had taken of Hazel.

Hazel. A pretty name for someone whose disposition was anything but, if what Anna said was true. As for the link with the brother and sister, Beth had been a little concerned.

More like scared shitless.

So they were 'employed' by Aro, were they? Another bomb-shell secret Antoine had kept from everyone. What else was there still left to find and discover?

Scrutinising the glowing screen, Beth didn't know if the photo had been taken with Hazel's consent or not. Her face looked a little blurred, like Anna had taken it in a hurry.

Beth remembered her initial reaction to it, the shocked gasp and the goofy smile that had unfurled on her face – because Hazel looked like a total badass, but fucking hell, what had she been doing before she was a vampire?

She looked in dire need of a burger, maybe even two, because it looked like Hazel's skull was trying to push its way through her pale skin. She was all sharp cheekbones and jutting chin and jaw.

Still, her unusual profile was refreshing to Beth, who was desensitised by pretty people with their perfect symmetrical face. They didn't look real. Even Anna looked like a bewildering cross between a French girl and an Amazonian Warrior Princess.

Then there was Demetri - well, his beauty went without saying.

Annoyed, Beth jerked her head as if shaking off a fly, and refocused on her phone. She could see Hazel's head had been shaved brutally short on one side, yet a long, dark piece of hair threatened to tickle against her cheek. It looked quite annoying to Beth, but, ultimately, as anti-establishment as all shit.

Beth snorted. She remembered when she had considered something similar, upon entering her 'dark and Gothic' faze. It had been when she had been about thirteen; she had even thought about getting her nose pierced, but Mum had refused to let her. Probably for the best, in hindsight. The vampire venom would have just closed up the piercing, like it had done with her ears.

Well, Mum had eventually relented a little, after years of sneak-attack pleas. She had allowed Beth to dye her hair a darker shade of auburn for prom…but what had been the point? Nobody had noticed, and Beth had never liked fishing for compliments, anyway, let alone receiving them.

Mum hadn't liked this haircut she had now. The fringe that Beth had created for herself when she was sixteen. The fringe that always got in Beth's eyes. Impractical, Mum had said. What would she think of the colour of it, if she saw it?

Beth snorted again. That was an easy question. Mum would hate it. But it would be difficult to explain that tomato-red was, somehow, naturally this colour now. Beth didn't know why. She loved it, though.

When she had asked Anna if she had a picture of Michael and Julia, Anna had said no, but that was okay. Beth could remember the three of them, staring at her and Anna on the night of the Halloween Ball. The masks didn't help with trying to picture their faces, but they had all looked fairly similar, especially in height.

Wait. Hazel had been wearing a wig that night. How else could she cover this haircut up?

Beth smirked. Questions…questions…

7th November 2011

Anna!

Help! SOS! Batten down the hatches! etc. etc. Seth has revealed another secret. He can play the guitar.

Male musicians are my weakness. You know this.

What is he DOING to me?!

Oh yes. Did I forget to mention? I have a crush on a werewolf. And that werewolf may have a crush on me. I hope he doesn't. At least I think I do.

I know, right? Have I gone crazy? Don't answer that. What the hell do I do?

Actually, I don't want to bother you with this. You're busy. I'll shut up now.

She had been keeping the Cullens' house clean while they were away, using Nessie's key to get in while her friends slept. It gave Beth something to do in the lonely nights, besides forest parkour, writing in her notebook and thinking about stuff. She would do a bit of dusting and polishing – but not vacuuming, for fear of bringing attention to herself. She would do that in the mornings.

Sometimes she would venture up to Edward's room (feeling intrusive despite his permission to do so), and listen to his records with her new headphones, which had been a real steal up at Port Angeles.

Of course Seth was never very far from her thoughts. In fact, ever since the Big Acoustic Guitar Revelation, Beth's fantasies were getting stupidly worse. Seth would be sitting with her on Edward's chaise lounge, softly plucking out a tune for her. Its sticker-covered, lacquered surface would shine wetly in the darkness, and he would look up and smile at her.

That was all she dared to think about. That was when sense would find her again.

Shaking her head, Beth looked up at the sky. Hesitant flurries of snow were beginning to fall tonight, lightly kissing her face. At the speed it was coming down (and the icy bite in the air), it would likely stick. This excited Beth, anticipating the snowball fights in the morning.

Maybe Seth and Leah would join in. You know, if they weren't too busy.

The next day after breakfast, Beth was congratulating herself on her correct weather prediction. Jake and Nessie were outside, taking full advantage of the snow. Red-cheeked and smiling, Nessie was bundled up in a thick coat, with an adorable pink bobble hat and a matching scarf. Meanwhile Jake was comfortable in only a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Their heads leaned secretively together as they built their snowman – or snow giant, according to its steadily growing size.

Beth thought it looked warm in their little bubble, and not just because of Jacob's body temperature. She sighed, suddenly feeling like she shouldn't be watching them, but when she turned away, she was met with nothing but the empty living-room.

Leah and Seth were busy today, so she probably wouldn't see them until later. Beth sighed, and crossed the room to Nessie's laptop. Her friend had been kind and trusting enough to open up a new account for Beth to use, with the internet and Skype, if she so wanted to contact the Cullens.

Beth hadn't dared to ask anyone about what to do with Seth, out of fear. Again. Anna wouldn't understand, and Beth didn't want to bother her soon-to-be-married sister with something that wasn't that important, anyway.

But, oh! It felt so painfully important when Beth was alone. Mostly it was the fear that everyone would laugh at her, or something. Beth had tried imagining what she would say to Edward or Alice about Seth, but then her mind would just…shut down.

What if Edward knew about her feelings for Seth? Damn his telepathy! Beth thought, cringing at the thought.

With Anna, they would end up just talking about the wedding or something cool or cute that Renesmee had done that day. Anna liked Nessie, and had been amused to learn that she had recently started painting her nails darker colours and exploring moody music from the mid-Seventies. Beth took hearty credit for that little influence.

Also, from what Anna had told her, the wedding plans were coming out swimmingly. The decorations were being designed, the dresses were all but ready to be made, and the vows were being drafted. The wedding was beginning to seem very close indeed.

Beth wondered how Anna was feeling about this. Was she excited? Nervous? Having second thoughts? Whenever they spoke on the phone, the giggle that always bubbled not far from the surface of Anna's voice said otherwise.

Booting up Skype, Beth was glad to see that Alice was available. Perhaps she would know something more about the Lewis triplets…or, failing that, Edward would definitely know.

She carried the laptop over to the coffee table, sat down, and waited for Alice to appear. With the weather, it was hard to know how the connection would be. Luckily, the screen popped up in little to no time.

"Good morning, Beth!" Alice trilled. She was sat at her desk in her study, and Beth could see that the fashion mannequin behind her was now draped in a lilac sheet across one shoulder, waiting to be cut to size.

The cold, crisp light was flooding in through the window on Alice's left side, hallowing her head and shoulders. Where Beth just wore her faded, brown hoodie and jeans, Alice looked effortlessly elegant in a pink dress. The pale rose clipped in her pixie-short hair made her look young and very delicate.

"Hi," Beth said with a smile. "I see you're started a new project. Is it for you?"

"Oh, you noticed!" Alice turned in her computer chair to survey the mannequin. "No, that's for Bella, for her winter wardrobe. Purple suits her, don't you think?"

"I suppose. I thought blue looked nicer, though."

"Oh, she has too many blue dresses." Alice batted an impatient hand. "So, how are you?"

"Good. Everyone's good." Hearing a wet thud outside, followed by Nessie's squeal, Beth smirked. "Actually, I think Jake and Ness are having a snowball fight."

Alice laughed. "You're missing out."

Beth grinned. "Nah. I'd rather keep dry, thanks." She folded her lips into her mouth. "Listen, um, I need to ask you something."

"Alright," Sensing the hesitation in Beth's voice, Alice's smile flickered in concern. "Ask away."

"Do you know anything...about the Lewis triplets?"

Alice frowned. "I don't know. Who are they?"

Beth took a breath. Her stomach was twisting with anxiety. "They are the Volturi's best messengers, apparently. Julia, Michael and Hazel. Some more of Antoine's protégées." She snorted. "And they can, like, send messages to each other telepathically, and spread the good news. You know, that there's a new Queen."

"Right." Alice hadn't moved. Her eyes looked a little uncertain. "That explains the vision I had yesterday."

Beth's heart flew up into her throat. "Really?" She blurted out. "What happened?"

"I saw a woman standing on a balcony in what I could only assume was Volterra."

Fumbling in her pocket, Beth pulled out her phone. "Did she look…like this?"

She showed Alice the picture, and Alice gave a nod. "That's her. I don't know any other vampire with hair like that. Which one is she?

"That's Hazel. She's basically observing the new Queen, or – or so Anna tells me. Does any of this ring a bell?" Beth didn't like the thinly veiled desperation in her voice, twisting her mouth in annoyance.

Alice looked thoughtful. "I believe I may have seen a face similar to hers. You say they are triplets? It might have been her brother. Edward would know."

Beth sighed, feeling a little less tense. At least the triplets were vaguely familiar. "That's what I thought. Is he there with you?"

Amusement danced in Alice's eyes. "He's hunting with Bella right now."

"Ah." Beth gave a smirk, in spite of herself. "So…they may be quite a while, eh?"

Alice's eyes were unfocused for a moment, and then she blinked. "Yes."

"Excellent," Beth deadpanned. "Well, um, could you get him to call or Skype me when they get back, please? I need to know if my sister is safe with this Hazel chick."

"Of course. Anything else you need help with?"

Seth. Tell her about Seth. "Nope. Everything's fine besides that." Beth grinned. "How is everyone else?"

"Great. Do you wanna say hi?!"

Beth laughed. "Sure!" The laughing and heavy breathing of Jake and Nessie coming into the room made her smile. "Oh, great timing! Jake! Ness! Come and see everyone."

They gathered around the laptop, while Alice made her swift way downstairs to the Cullens' living-room. It was to be a brief meeting, because Alice had work to do, but it was good seeing Jasper, Esmee and Emmett again. Rosalie was apparently shopping for a new car part, or something. Beth usually switched off when it came to cars (unless she was driving one, of course), but she loved hearing about Rosalie's hobby. It was the one thing Jake and the vampire could talk about the longest without arguing.

After saying their goodbyes, Beth shut down the laptop and grinned at her friends. "So! Have you recovered from the snow battle?"

"Actually, we were waiting for you to join us," Nessie smiled impishly, and Beth couldn't say no.

Suffice to stay, she didn't stay as dry as she would have liked for long.

So is Beth a smart kid - or just paranoid? She doesn't trust the Lewis triplets already...and she hasn't even met them! Let me know what you think & hope you all have a happy Easter!