Chapter 8

We hadn't even been living in Canada for a month, and Raynee had already landed a job at a popular clothing store in the nearest shopping mall. Dad got a job working for some construction company. When he told us this news, Kit threw her head back and laughed uncontrollably for at least ten minutes. The twins shouted something along the lines of "Cool!" and Raynee snorted audibly. I tried to hold my laughter inside, but it didn't really work too well.

Christmas was approaching fast, and for once, I didn't really want anything. Except to know the Cullens' secret.

Although the sun was long gone, the endless rain was showing no signs of freezing and changing into snow. The thing I hoped for most was exactly that, but I probably wouldn't get my wish. I never got anything that I wished for. But one day, I got a surprise. I woke up to blinding sunlight outside. It was nothing like the winter wonderland I'd been hoping for (not that it was even winter yet), but it was a welcome change from the pattering of rain on every outdoor surface. However, when I stepped outside, I had to run back inside for a jacket; the air was crisp and cool. The cold wind whipped into my face as I walked to school with Kit and Raynee.

Raynee and I hardly spoke anymore. So far, Raynee had done absolutely nothing to take her revenge, but I was still making an effort to be careful. You never knew when she would strike.

Nessie wasn't at school that day. At lunch, Kit and I went down to the usual place where we ate, but nobody was there. I added this to the growing list in my head. Pale. Beautiful. Anti-social. Don't eat...

"Where were you?" I asked Nessie the second I walked into English two days later. The sun was now covered up by clouds and a light rain was falling outside.

"Carlisle's family was visiting," she explained. "Tanya and Kate, and Eleazar and Carmen. Oh, and Kate's fiancŽ, Garrett."

"How long did they come for?" I asked curiously.

"Two days. They got here Sunday afternoon and headed back up to Alaska last night." Nessie pulled her homework out of her bag as the bell rang and I reeturned to my own desk, puzzling over the Cullens' absence in the past couple of days. Nessie's explanation covered everything. And she hadn't seemed like she was fabricating anything. Of course, she was probably a good actor. The Cullens seemed to be good at everything.

This led me to believe that maybe this was just an extention to the story I'd heard on the first day I'd come to this school. What had been the real reason that none of the Cullens came to school those days?

I felt a little bit bad that I automatically assumed that the Cullens were lying. But I had a strange feeling that they were hiding something. Something big.

***

Over the next couple of days, I tried to get closer to my goal of figuring out the Cullens' secret. I didn't get much further. We continued to receive random days of sunlight on the island, and each time, the Cullens would be nowhere to be found. Each time, Nessie would feed me some story that my brain refused to believe was the truth. One day, Esme needed everyone to stay home and help her paint Edward's piano room. Another day, Edward was sick and couldn't drive them to school. A stretch of five sunny days in a row was a "road trip." The excuses dragged on, and I grew tired of acting like I believed them.

One Tuesday, the grey clouds refused to release their hold on the raindrops in their midst. Nessie and I were sitting in my backyard on an old quilt. We had a large stack of books we'd gathered from around the house (underneath a raincoat, just in case), and we each had a glass of lemonade. Mine was nearly empty, Nessie's practically untouched. I'd grown somewhat used to this. We were laughing about something some guy had said in Social Studies that day when Alice appeared around the corner of the house. Nessie grinned and waved to her, but Alice, unusually, didn't seem in the mood for cheeriness. She looked worried. She stared at Nessie, then up at the slowly parting clouds, frantically trying to convey some message. Nessie's eyes widened as she understood whatever it was that Alice was trying to tell her.

Nessie jumped up. "Let's go inside," she suggested, wrapping the raincoat around the stack of books to form some kind of sack. She picked up the makeshift bag and her full glass of lemonade.

I glanced up at the sky. "But the sun's just starting to come out," I objected.

As if on cue, the sunlight poured down into the backyard, and three things happened simultaneously. Nessie made to move in front of me, as if to hide something. Alice's mouth opened and she took a half a step backwards, but not enough to be hidden from sight. And then Alice began to sparkle.

***

Author's Note: Sorry it's so short! Not even 1000 words; so disappointing! But I just HAD to give you guys a cliffhanger... Of a sort... XD Don't hate me! You can threaten me if you like, though. I find threats amusing. Unless, of course, they AREN'T amusing... Well, this changes things! I'd originally planned for Paisley to almost get hit by a bus or something and somebody saves her (not saying who, although you may be able to guess!), but that is just too reminiscent of Twilight... :P Thanks HPobsessssssed7 and Mr Magi for reviewing! And now, onto "Danger"!!!