A/N: If anyone wants to see a character that you've made up or if you have any ideas that you would like to see in my stories or if you just want to talk email me at: secrets. 202 gmail . com (no spaces and there is an at sign between the last 2 and gmail...for some reason it won't let me use that sign) and I will try to get your ideas (if I like them) into the story. I can't promise to answer your email on the same day that I get it but I will try. I also want to thank Winter Gleam for his/her criticism. I kept it in mind while I wrote this and I hope to have shown some improvement. I am truly sorry if I didn't do much better but I can only say I tried.


I got out of the family car after a very awkward and silent ride home from the hospital. We all had avoided the words werewolf and vampire. I tried to talk as little as possible but James kept trying to ask me about school and college next year. After some terse sentences, we just let the conversation hang. My mom sat with a hard look on her face while my dad kept glancing back at me with a harried expression. My brothers were all tense and nervous.

I looked around at my surroundings and appreciated the view. I had missed my trees and flowers. I heard dogs barking and smiled to myself, remembering the money I had earned walking them. We all walked inside of my house and trooped into the living room. I sat on the couch between Charlie and James, who put their arms around me protectively. Peter sat down on the edge of the armrest, my dad sat on the only chair and my mom paced back and forth in front of me.

"Explain yourself, young lady!"

"Um…"

"Why did you lie to your father and I? And don't tell me something stupid. I can tell when you're lying. Why?"

"Well you see…"

"No…you know what? Don't talk. You remember what happened; I know you do! Why don't you want to tell me? I want to get that sick bastard if it's the last thing I do." I looked at her shocked, didn't she know?

"Mom?" James ventured.

"What? Can't you see I'm talking to your sister?"

"Yes, but mom look at her."

"I am looking at her."

"No, Mom," Peter stepped in. "Really look at her." My mom turned her angry gaze from my brothers to me. She stared in perplexity until realization dawned on her features.

"You…you're…you're one of them?" She looked utterly confused. Her eyes opened slightly as did her mouth. I tried not to giggle as I saw my dad with a similar expression. "How is that possible?"

"Because she's not one of us yet, mom." Charlie replied.

"You know?" My poor mother looked so lost. She was looking at me with a bewildered expression. "How?" She whispered.

"Yes mom, as of this morning I know that werewolves exist. As of almost three weeks ago I know that vampires exist. I was with in the park when some psycho vampire caught me and held me prisoner against my will. He drank most of my blood and when Will found me I was dying, so he changed me." I said calmly. My parents stared at me in awe. I was shocked myself. I had been able to tell them what had happened without completely breaking down or at least expressing some sort of emotion. After overcoming their shock, I was enveloped by my mom.

"Who did it?" Peter asked after she was done smothering me. "I don't care about the law…who did it?"

"It's ok, Peter. Will…said he took care of it." I replied. My dad's eyes widened in horror as Peter, James and Charlie grinned simultaneously. My mom just frowned slightly and her eyebrows creased.

"Well, I hope that bastard is floating in the East River somewhere." My mom said simply. My dad gulped and paled. I imagined my face paled visibly as well. I had never seen my mom so violent; she was always such a sweet and quiet person. I suppose appearances deceive.

"Honey…" My dad whispered. He looked so small and timid in comparison to my brothers. "Maybe, we should let Cat shower and have some alone time?" I had never noticed until now that my mom was the dominant person in my parent's relationship. My mom turned in his direction and stared at him. She probably forgot he was there; she's been doing that recently. Its so annoying…doesn't she have any respect for us?

"That sounds like a good idea. Go shower Cat."

"Ok mom." I would have argued but I've learned by now that it's useless when she gets this way. All pissed off and angry. I walked out of the living room and could hear my dad asking my mom about vampires. At least I'm not the only one who didn't know anything. I can't believe they didn't tell me! How could they keep this a secret from me for such a long time? I am so mad right now…my brothers too! We used to share everything with each other! Until they turned eighteen and became "men" and decided that hanging out with me wasn't cool anymore. Ugh! I am so mad right now…words cannot begin to describe it.

I got into the shower and let the hot water pour down on me. The pelting of the water felt good on my skin and I let it run for a while. I picked up the soap and scrubbed myself vigorously, determined to make myself pure again. I scrubbed until I was raw and continued to let the hot water scald me. When I could no longer stand the heat, I turned the water off and got out.

I put on my favorite pajamas and walked back into the living drying out my hair. I could hear my parents arguing and hung back to listen.

"I don't care if he saved her life, that boy is never setting foot in this household!" I could tell my dad was infuriated and prayed he wouldn't hear me breathing. I tried to hold my breath and smiled inwardly as I realized I didn't need to breathe.

"John! Be reasonable. Catherine is a vampire now and she needs to be with her own kind. How would you feel if only one of your sons was a werewolf? Don't you remember how confused and vexed Peter was until Charlie transformed and the two of them could relate with each other?"

"That is a completely different and irrelevant case!" I heard my mother sigh and knew she had given up on convincing my dad. In this way, he and I were similar; we are extremely stubborn. "Werewolves aren't monsters! They are humans who have the ability to turn into wolves whenever they will it. They also happen to prefer their meat just a bit raw…whereas VAMPIRES! They drink blood and are dead! Dead, Leah! Inhuman…heretics. It's sinful. I will only allow Cat to live in this house if she promises to choose her werewolf heritage instead of this inconceivable creature. But that is all; I refuse to have any more of those blood-sucking freaks inside of this house."

I listened enraged! How dare he? How dare he deny me the right to pick my own life, my own friends? I am seventeen years old, for God's sakes! I'm not a baby anymore. I can do whatever the hell I want! I can stay a vampire or not! I can let Will into my life or not! It's my decision not his! My stomach growled loudly and I forgot to hold my breath. That's when I noticed that the yelling had stopped. I walked out of the shadows and into the view of my parents.

"Cat!" My father's livid face turned to one of surprise as he saw me, hair dripping wet on the rug. "For how long were you there?"

"Long enough!" I huffed out and turned away from him. My only defense is to ignore him…if I'm not careful I might hurt him. Although right now…"I'm hungry mom." I felt my father shrink away from me and back into the corner. I grinned impishly and turned to face him. "What do you think daddy's blood will taste like?" I asked her in a sing-songy voice. My dad's face paled and I secretly laughed to myself. Revenge tastes sweet, despite what they say.

"Leave your father alone. I heard your stomach growl, I know. Let's go see what's in the kitchen." I turned to face my mother and saw her smiling at me. She was proud that I had stood up to my father; I could tell. I followed her into the kitchen where we found my brothers stuffing their faces. They looked up from their bags of junk food with guilty faces. My bad mood shifted and I laughed at them. I can always count on my brothers to make me laugh. It almost never fails!

"Boys!" My mother scolded kindly. "You should have told me you were hungry. I would have made you something!"

"Bu' m'm th's stuff's go'd," Charlie said with his mouth full. I scrunched up my nose in disgust. I hate seeing people chew with their mouths open. It's a repulsive habit. My mom simply laughed at him and set about taking their food. I helped her clean up their mess and began to set the table.

"I'm making you three something healthy. Who knows what you've been eating in your dorms."

"Well…Sarah cooks most nights." James said shyly.

"Sarah?" My mother exclaimed. "You've imprinted?" Her face lit up with joy as my brother's face flooded with color. "That's great honey!" She put her arm around my brother and gave him a peck as my other brothers congratulated him.

"Mom?' She turned around from my brother to look at me. "Does that mean I'm going to imprint too?"

"Yes honey! Like I did, with your father. It will be so romantic." I scrunched up my face. I don't want to be told who to love. I love Will…I don't want to imprint on some random guy…

"No!"

"It's part of your heritage, babe. I'm sorry. Now what do you want to eat?"

"Whatever." I snapped. My bad mood had returned. I don't want my life to be predetermined. I'm going to love whoever I want when I want. My mom chuckled and opened the refrigerator door. I shook my head in anger. She doesn't even care! I should move out of here…Well in several weeks, school will be over and then I will be at Cornell.

"Here." She put a plate of eggs in front of me. I picked up the fork and jammed a piece of egg into my mouth. I choked on it and spat it out. My mom turned around annoyed before comprehending. "I'm so sorry honey. That must have tasted horribly! Let me get you some…uh...blood." She said awkwardly. She opened the freezer and took out a bucket, which I had never seen before. She opened it and I could smell it instantly. It smelled so appetizing. I licked my lips and waited as my mom poured me a cup. "Let me heat it up for you. Alice said something about it being better warm…" She put it in the microwave for a minute and then handed it to me. I took a small sip just to try it and then gulped it down quickly. It was so good and fulfilling. I put the cup down and wiped my mouth clean. My brothers were staring at me with disgusted expression and I could tell my mom was trying not to puke.

"How can you drink that?" Charlie asked with a horrified expression.

"It tastes so good. It's warm and I don't know…it has a certain taste to it. What animal was it from?"

"Lamb," my mom replied while taking the cup away.

"Why do we have a bucket of blood anyways?"

"Alice brought it over while you were showering."

"Oh! I should call her to thank her. Thanks mom." I got up and walked out of the kitchen.

"That was sickening." Peter said in a whisper. I guess he forgot I could hear. Did anyone in my family support this? Did they all expect me to choose to be a werewolf when the time came? Why would I do that? I don't want to have my destiny set out for me. I don't want to be away from Will. What has my life come too? Having to choose between my family and the boy I love…and he doesn't even know it yet. I should probably tell him, but what if he wants me to choose too? Could I? I should talk to Alice, she always helped Bella out in the book, I'm sure she'll help me.

I walked into my bedroom and picked up my cell phone. It rang once before I heard Alice's voice.

"Hey Cat. I'll be right over!"

"Of course you knew…" I said sighing. She laughed and hung up the phone. I lay on my bed and waited. Soon there was a rap on my window and I saw Alice's face peeking through the glass. She grinned widely and waved. I got up and opened the window for her, which she nimbly climbed through.

"Cat!" She said joyfully hugging me. I shushed her and glanced at my door. "Oh, sorry." She told me sitting cross-legged on my floor. I sat across from her with my back to my closet. Alice looked around my room; the bookshelf stuffed to the brim; the stuffed animals on the shelves; the lavender wall color; my swimming and track trophies; and my posters. "I love your room! It's so cute!" She squealed. I smiled as a way of thanks and sighed loudly. "Ok, what's wrong?"

"My life…everything. Well maybe not everything, but most of it. My dad called me a freak…I think he hates me. My mom and my brothers find me repulsive. They all expect me to choose to be a werewolf when the time comes but I don't know if I want to! I don't want to imprint. I don't want to grow insanely tall and go through strange transformation just to turn into a wolf. I don't want to have to give up Will." I said fuming. "How dare they tell me how to live my life? I will do whatever the hell I want…I don't…I don't want to have my life controlled by some primeval instinct. Alice…I want to just live however I want."

"I don't know what to say, Cat…I will help you do whatever you want and will support your decision. But you have to listen to your family as well. They are just overwhelmed right now and confused. They see you differently and you need to wait for them to get used to the new you. Don't worry, they'll go right back to how they used to be."

"But what if they don't?" I whispered. She slid over and wrapped her arms around me.

"Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine. And if it doesn't I promise to be here for you. You can even move in with me if you need to."

"Thanks," I said trying not to sniffle. She nodded and helped me up from the floor.

"Try to get some sleep." She said. "I'm sure you will feel better in the morning. I've told Jasper that I would be sleeping over and tomorrow you get to go to school, where you won't have to face your parents." I gave her a watery smile, which she returned with a big one and pushed me onto the bed. "Night time," She said grinning foolishly. I giggled and got under the covers. Alice pulled out the trundle bed and got in. "Actually, I've changed my mind. Don't sleep! Spill. Since when do have you liked Will?" I felt my face heat up and could only imagined my blush. I thought for a minute and then told Alice everything.