Wow, another update? And so soon? Wasn't there something that rhymes with "quirk" that I'm supposed to be doing? Well, yeah, but this is like the third or fourth night in a row that I stayed up until about six AM. I'm turning into a vampire. I am not going to like waking up early come Monday. Oh well. JUST READ THIS AND REVIEW IT PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE!

Recap: I closed the book and flicked off the flashlight before placing both on my bedside table. Whoever wrote that must have taken "Ominous Writing 101" in college as an elective. I knew that vampires were dangerous, and had pretty good proof that I knew one; possibly an entire clan. Never the less, I knew I was a liar. Foolishly and irrationally, I trusted Edward with my life.

I didn't see Edward until lunch the next day, as usual. He spotted me in the line for lunch, grabbing a piece of pizza. He smiled, which I assumed was supposed to make me go weak in the knees, but I just smiled back. He couldn't know that I knew his secret, not yet. Especially not when there were tons of other humans around, unaware of the monster walking among them.

"Not hungry again, Edward?" I said.

"Special diet. I eat it the period before lunch since I have a free then." I nodded, accepting the excuse for the moment.

"Should we sit with my friends or your family?"

"My family doesn't like you, and I'm not so fond of a lot of your so-called friends. Why don't we just sit apart from everyone? I'd take you outside if it weren't pouring rain."

"Yeah, it does that here." He motioned for me to follow him once I'd gotten my lunch, then we walked briskly to an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria. We passed my usual seat, and I waved to my friends before pointing at Edward. They understood. It was hard not to laugh after spotting the look of utter shock on Lauren's face. I winked mockingly in her direction, milking every last bit out of the moment that I could.

Edward was acting gentlemanly enough to wait for me to sit before he did, not having a chair to pull out for me since the benches were attached to the tables. I sat and started quietly chewing my food. He wasn't talking. I shifted in my seat a little and swallowed, wondering if he wanted me to talk first or if he was just waiting for me to finish eating. Still, he said nothing, merely studying my face.

"Edward?" I finally spoke, getting his attention.

"Yes?"

"Well, I just assumed you wanted to sit together to talk and you're not saying a word. Is there something on your mind?" I questioned.

"Not really. Actually I was trying to see if I could unscramble the complex thoughts in your head, but it still seems like encrypted codes that I can't break through. Your brain's got some awesome firewall installed," he joked. I sighed and continued eating.

"My thoughts aren't that interesting," I insisted, swallowing another piece of pizza. "Getting through the firewall isn't really worth all that much effort."

"I'll be the one to judge that, once I make it through." I raised an eyebrow but kept eating. I wanted him to talk, not just to fill the silence, but to check for fangs or any trace of them.

"So, what are your plans after high school? You doing the whole college gig?"

"Probably." I couldn't check that thoroughly if he had only one word answers. I had to come up with something better to talk about.

"What kind of music are you into?" I asked, hoping this would get more than a one or two word answer out of him.

"That was a jump."

"What do you mean?"

"From college to music?"

"Like you, I'm trying to figure out what's going on in that noggin of yours. I can't read minds, so I'm completely handicapped." He nodded, believing the lie, or at least taking it as nothing harmful. I was glad he couldn't read my mind; otherwise he'd know what I was looking for and resist speaking even more. Or worse, he'd attack so I couldn't reveal his secret to anyone. I tried to shove that unsettling image from my mind, keeping a confident smile on my face at all times.

"Okay, so, music. I mostly like just quiet classical stuff. But if I'm in the mood, I like classic rock and some alternative stuff, too. The only music I refuse to listen to is rap. Not that it's all awful, it's just it isn't really something you just listen to. I'd rather have a violin medley to just close my eyes and let my mind drift off," he said, a calm smile on his face.

"I get that." No fangs. I was seriously hoping they were just fangs that popped out like in some vampire flicks. Just teeth was boring.

I suddenly wondered why I hadn't brought a stake, or at least a cross, to defend myself. It was likely he'd be pretty mad once he realized I knew. Even if it wouldn't affect him, at least I'd feel safer. Maybe I could get some garlic from the cafeteria…

"What kind of music are you into?" he asked. "I'd assume metal from your style, but I could always be wrong."

"I like metal, sure, but my taste can vary. I like lots of different kinds of rock and techno, some classical, even some pop… Mostly I'll listen to anything with really good lyrics and an awesome melody."

We continued to chat (and in my case eat) until the bell rung for next period. I stood and brought my tray to the trash, when Edward came up behind me, resting a hand on the inset of my waist and leaning his lips close to my ear. I gasped softly from the unexpected close contact.

"Meet me by my car after school once it's sunny again. There's something I'd like to show you, okay?" I nodded stiffly and held my breath, waiting for him to leave. He released me and I gasped again. The moment was intense enough that it left me too afraid to speak. I hated him for making my heart jump like that. I hated him for making me blush so intensely. I hated him for making me want to see him more. I hated that I liked him.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I figured I wasn't thinking rationally anymore. So, those who think irrationally might as well do somewhat irrational things! I rushed to my locker, grabbing the clear rain slicker Charlie told me was most appropriate for life in Forks, and then ran to my truck. I spent the rest of my day at a small store looking for cool, velvety looking curtains. I had to get my mind off of him before it drove me bonkers. It was already driving me bonkers!

I hated him so much that I liked him, and was starting to think that I liked him so much that I loved him. I didn't want to be attached to him. Not just because Edward was a blood sucking monster, but because he was Edward. Liking him meant… I wasn't sure what it meant, but I was sure it couldn't be anything good. Besides, if he really was so unattainable, then he couldn't possibly want me. Yet, if he did like me back, what would that mean for me? I couldn't exactly skip through the halls holding hands with a vampire that might decide one day that I'm more of a snack than a girlfriend.

The curtains I got were awesome. I got home before Charlie, as usual, but I didn't bother writing a fake excuse note. I figured Forks would, at most, give me a slap on the wrist and gossip about what horrible things I probably did – dealing drugs and prostituting myself to creepy old men – while I was gone for the last few periods of the school day. Perfect attendance wasn't at the top of my list.

I waited for another sunny day, which didn't take long. It was the Friday before Christmas vacation started, strangely enough. Sure enough, the Cullen's were away while the sun was shining, but after school I spotted that familiar shiny Volvo. Close by his car was the red-haired menace himself, leaning against a tree in the shade. He was wearing sunglasses and a large overcoat. I rolled my eyes, realizing that vampires were supposed to hate sunlight. In Buffy they would burst into fire from direct contact, so he had to protect himself. He probably carried a parasol around if he had to walk around in the sun to get something.

"You play hooky but show up to see me? I'm flattered," I said as I approached him in the shade of the tree.

"Special circumstances," he said with a shrug, twirling around. He began walking deeper into the forest near the school. "This forest stretches throughout Forks. We can even make it to your house under the cover of these trees. Or my house for that matter."

"Is that what you're showing me? Cause that's not too special. Unless you actually live in a castle."

"Well, it's big, but it's not a castle or a mansion. Not technically anyway," he said very nonchalantly. He was being incredibly serious, which bugged me. I liked him… I liked talking to him most when he would joke with me and act like every word I said mattered to him. When he was serious like this, it was like he'd lost all respect and chivalry in his bones.

He stopped suddenly after another long period of awkward silence. I nearly bumped into him, not predicting the stop. He turned around to face me.

"I asked you yesterday if you trusted me," he said. I didn't respond. He cleared his throat then started again. "You said… no. But I trust you. Let me ask you one more time, do you trust me?"

I didn't need to think about it this time. "Yes." I was insane. I was hypnotized by his gaze. Actually, it was possible that I was hypnotized. It's a vampire thing.

"What I'm about to tell you is a bit hard to believe. But I swear to you, I wouldn't lie or joke about this. I need to tell you because I'm becoming attached, which is altogether too dangerous for you. What I am is not what you might think." I shook my head.

"I think I know," I managed to choke out, even through all my nerves. He grimaced.

"Are you sure?" I nodded. "And you believe it?" Another nod. "Then… say it."

"V-" I paused. Did I really believe it? The creature, the person right in front of me was some mythical beast that murdered and slaughtered humans? I closed my eyes and bit my lip. Why couldn't he just say it? It would be so much easier that way! I hated him. I hated him with all my might.

"Vampire," I spat, the sound of disgust falling from my lips.

"You don't seem scared," he noted.

"I am, don't let me fool you. But I trust you." My eyes were still shut, but less tightly. Looking at him was distracting me. "Mostly I just… you kill people, don't you? Even if they're just people with nothing left to live for, those are lives you take. I can't allow that."

"I don't drink the blood of humans. Carlisle taught me to drink the blood of animals instead. We have to feed more often, and we aren't as strong as normal vampires, but the worst harm we do is to animals."

"PETA would be on your asses so fast if they knew about you," I joked. I peeked with one eye to see if he had smiled at the joke, since I didn't hear a laugh from him. He had. I closed my eye again.

"Mirra, please, open your eyes. I don't want to think that you're too disgusted by what I am to even look at me anymore," he said, voice trailing off.

"Oh no, it's not that!" I burst, opening my eyes again. "You're just kind of… really pretty. In a more manly way, of course." He laughed that time.

"Sometimes I forget. I was more of an average Joe before I turned. Had green eyes and freckles, too. Total ginger kid." I smiled, picturing him as an awkward nerdy kid with brown speckles covering his pale face.

"There's a lot I want to ask you," I said. "Like, for one, how old are you really?"

"Old. Very old. Let's just say I've been dead for about 100 years."

"So you're over 100 years old?" I asked him, rocking back and forth in my boots.

"Yes."

"That's sort of…" A bunch of words popped into my head, weird being the first. Awkward and strange also joined in on that little brainstorm. I'll never know what possessed my lips to utter that word. "Kinky."

He looked just as surprised as I did for a moment, then he started howling with laughter. I chuckled awkwardly at first, but his laughter was not only beautiful, but infectious. For a while we just stood there with each other, laughing over how stupid that had sounded.

"Of all…" he paused to laugh some more, "…the reactions… I expected… that was pretty much the last thing I would have thought you'd say!" Soon we'd both calmed down and I was left with a giant blush on my face and butterflies in my stomach.

"So what about the sun? You guys avoid it for a reason, right?" I questioned.

"Yeah. And, um, my entire family is vampires. You caught that right?"

"Yup."

"Okay, anyway, that's what I wanted to show you. Follow me," he said with a wave of his hand. We started to walk again as he continued to talk. "The sun usually gives us seriously bad sunburns. After too long, our skin starts to boil and scorch. It kind of, melts us. So, a long time ago, Carlisle and some other vampire scientists got together to create a special kind of vampire sun block. SPF a million or something. Every test they did could only delay the boiling and make the burns less severe. Then Carlisle had the idea to add something to make it reflect UV rays. I'm not sure how it works, but… you'll see."

We continued on until we reached a small clearing. He removed his t-shirt and I immediately went red from the sight of his bare chest.

"Um, not that I hate that you are undressing yourself, but… why are you undressing yourself?" I asked hesitantly.

"I figure it's better to show you like this." Of course, he just had to be lightly muscled in the way that it was hot and not to the point of being super creepy and weird like some body builders can be. I tried to restrain my thoughts so I wouldn't start imagining the rest of him. What was actually there in front of me was distracting enough.

He looked away from me and out into that open, sun-filled space. He looked back to me and smiled.

"Don't laugh too much, okay?" he said with a nervous smile. Then he took the couple of steps separating him and the bright sunny area and allowed the sunlight to hit his skin.

Aren't I just horribly evil? Well, not really, since you all know what happens (I assume). Anyway, yes, that's the best excuse I could come up with for that. It is Twilight, and they're infamous for the sparkling, so I had to de-fruitify it but I could only do that to a point. That's why this is a challenge. It's not supposed to be easy to adapt the biggest piece of crap literature ever took and dress it up to look like art.

In any case, just be glad there's another update so soon. Will you review now? PLEASE? I want to know if you like it. Not hearing anything makes me worry my older readers got tired of waiting or bored with the story and decided to move on to bigger and better fics!

Mirra: PLEASE GOD JUST GIVE HER A REVIEW. She won't stop whining until you do and I LIVE INSIDE HER MIND. It's awful enough up here without the constant whining.