I'll warn you now (in case you've somehow forgotten), Caleb has a colorful vocabulary, & uses it a lot in this chapter. This is in his p.o.v., & you start to see a conflict. Please let me know what you think, & ask plenty of questions!

Aw, shit! Against the far cafeteria wall was the Cullen table… with all six parasites. Where was the Halfling bitch? She'd better be alive, or… or what? Nothing, that's what. That traitor's life-existence- didn't matter anymore. No, it never mattered to me…too much. She was just an assignment. At least that's what I told myself- stop it, Caleb.

"Caleb, I hate you and will hate you more if you don't introduce me," announced my Seattle best friend, David, as he slammed his tray on the table.

"Introduce you to who?" I asked wryly. Our friends Kevin and Dawn also sat down.

"Sweet! Thanks for the premium seats, Cale!" said Kevin. Dawn glared at him.

"Get this. Caleb doesn't know why we hate him," said David.

"Oh no, you idiot, are your trying to meet her? You don't have a chance with her!" groaned Kevin.

"Why not?" demanded David.

"Easy. She's the hottest girl in the school! She's way out of your league."

"Madison is gorgeous, but Rosalie is still prettier. Anyway, she's taken by Dustin Bell," sighed Dawn.

"What Madison Cullen?" I shouted.

"Isn't it Hale?" asked Dawn. No, and neither was Bella, but no one else knew that. "Who did you think we meant?"

"No way. Bella and Alice are much hotter. And nicer," objected David as he shoved a fork full of sticky macaroni. "But Caleb has next hour with the only Cullen-slash-Hale girl in our reach!"

"Shut up, all of you! I'm not going to introduce you, and she's not staying here anyway," I said.

"What?"

"Why?"

"How long do we have to share?"

"They'll probably leave town soon." I quickly down as much food as I could.

"How do you know? The Cullens never talk about themselves, and you and Madison don't seem close. Her boyfriend has threatened to fight you countless times," said Dawn. If I didn't end this conversation soon, one of the bloodsuckers would stop it. And I wasn't sure if I couldn't kill them.

"I know her family- her grandfather anyway. My family and hers are like family." Dawn was shocked.

"What happened then? If you're like family why do you hate each other?" Damn it! I needed lunch to end NOW!

"Basically, her mom made a huge mistake, and- listen, you wouldn't understand, OK?" I looked at Madison's friends' table, and shit. There she was, laughing and talking with humans. Maybe Dr. Fang found another way to help her.

"You hate her because of what her mom did? You ass hole!" Dawn was pissed off. She rarely cussed.

We always knew that, Dawn," laughed David. "Caleb, just let me see her." I had to get them to shut up.

"Fine, I'll let you see her. Dawn, drop it."

Class didn't start for another ten minutes, but I needed away from the vampire room. David followed me. We stood alone in silence outside Ms. Robin's history class until Dustin and a few others came down the hall. No Madison.

"Is she normally late?" asked David anxiously.

"No, but maybe she's not coming today," I replied hopefully.

"The perfect Cullens would never skip! We saw her at lunch, anyway." I laughed at the outrageous statement. "Perfect Cullens"? Wouldn't skip school, the hell they would!

"Why wouldn't Madison come?" asked Dustin. Oh, hell, he was getting pissed off- again. I had this tiny feeling he didn't like me. "She's talking to Bella." What's that saying? Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear?

"Aw, fuck!" I muttered. Everyone around stated at me. I flipped them off as I fell back against the cinderblock wall.

Madison was wearing skinny jeans that made her look even thinner and taller- and I'm sure they did wonders in the back, too. Her tight, black long-sleeve shirt showed off her chest, but I tried not to stare too long just incase the boyfriend- or worse, Edward- noticed. Damn, even her hair captured me. The way it fell around her face and shoulders was amazing, yet natural. I had a deep curiosity about what it looked like wet. I shook the thought off. I saved her face for last because that would tell the bitter truth: Was she human or vampire?

Her skin was a litter paler, but it looked good on her. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed, but I'd been raised to notice things like that. Her complexion was perfect and looked like marble. I timidly looked at her eyes, expecting to see crimson irises like all vampires from our stories had. I couldn't hide my surprise when I saw that her eyes were black- completely black. They were too much like those two bloodsuckers who tried to… to kill her. Why was that so hard to say? Anyway, I continued staring at her perfect features as she and Bella walked towards us. They were arguing about her.

"Isabella, I am fine!" said Madison.

"We're just worried. I've been at this your whole life, and I still have trouble sometimes. Madison, most of us had a hard time accepting this way of life."

"I know that! M-Bella, I know everyone's story as well as you do. I've grown up knowing about all this. You probably can't help it, but you don't need to worry. Alice will know if something…ends badly, and D-Edward, I'm sure, is listening to me."

"You can lie with your thoughts," Bella reminded her. It was like Bella was fighting with her daughter, but Madison was fighting with her sister. Maybe that's what they were to each other. Bella was only two to three years older.

"You and Jasper will know the truth."

"Only if you're close." They were talking too fast and quiet for me to me to hear more. Now that they were close I noticed something weird.

"Your mark! It's gone!" I blurted out. They noticed me for the first time, and all three of us involuntarily jumped back from the odor. The vampire sweet, rotting stench was gagging, but I couldn't show my disgust. It would attract unwanted attention.

"Yeah," she sighed. She seemed upset. She and Bella looked back down the hall. Mrs. Robin was coming, and the tardy bell rang overhead.

"Shit," grumbled David. I'd forgotten all about him. Damn, that was boy was desperate. "Madison, Bella, I'm David. Caleb's my best friend. I'm also Katie's brother. Nice meeting you. Bye." And he was gone.

"Ok, this Aurora Borealis sight is no longer cool. If I see one more red glow around someone like that again near you I will live life blind! I close my eyes half the time anyway," announced Bella. Maddy laughed.

"You do not!"

"I'm easily blinded."

"Only around Jasper and Edward. Besides, it could be worse. You could be Jasper. Imagine feeling that way for me."

"I've got to go. Alice says don't be late getting to the car. Renee's calling right after school. She wants to talk about seeing you this summer, and it wouldn't be a good idea for Esme to pick up."

My head was spinning with questions as Mrs. Robin unlocked her door. What did "red glow" and "Aurora Borealis sight" mean? How could Renee see her family now? Her daughter and son-in-law were still teens, and her only grandchild was a bloodsucker, too!

I took my seat and stared blankly at the chalkboard. Madison and Dustin sat together across the room, and the ugly sight shook my nerves. I took several long, deep breathes to calm down, but I still felt like I could pounce at any second. At least Edward could read my Quileute thoughts. That gave me some comfort. Mrs. Robin shut the door behind the last late student and started class.

I couldn't concentrate. Madison's smell was too strong and foul, and I had much bigger problems than the Stock Market Crash: I had to sit a few rows away from a damn sexy vampire for a month. I worried about her as much as I wanted to kill the traitor. God, why is my life so fucked up?