CHAPTER 11 – CURIOSITY

"WHAT about them?" he asked, clearly hesitant.

"Well, you seem so secretive about them. I only wondered why."

He breathed deeply, looking down at his hands that rested in his lap. "This new lifestyle I've begun with them. It's not easy. Before, I had an undeniable, irresistible lust. Since I've met them, I've denied that lust. It has never coincided with my new family."

"But what does hunting have to do with -?"

"I don't just lust for blood, darling. I'm sure you know that," he added, laughing. "I'm just not used to it. I'm not ready to introduce you right away, but maybe, one day …"

"I'm not asking you to introduce me, Jasper. I'd just like to know a bit about them. About your life in general, during the hours I don't see you."

He smiled almost apologetically, as if he wished he wished he wasn't away from me during the day.

"Well," he began, pulling me towards him so we cuddled on my couch. "I've got two brothers – Edward and Emmett. And Carlisle and Esme, they're basically what humans would consider parents to us. Carlisle created Edward, Esme, and Edward, and Esme is his mate. He also created Rosalie, in hopes that she'd be Edwards mate, but one day found Emmett, a dying hiker, and ever since …"

"How'd you find them?" I asked.

"Well, as I once told you, I escaped the wars in Mexico with my comrade Peter, and his mate. We made our way up north. We'd heard of Alaska and how some parts hardly have sun, a perfect place to try Peter's farfetched idea – hunting animals. I ran in to Esme, who'd just killed a moose. She introduced me to the rest of the Cullens, and everything just seemed to fall in to place."

"And Peter and his mate?" I asked hesitantly, afraid they'd resorted back to hunting humans.

"I haven't heard from him in years, but still 'vegetarians,' as far as I know." I smiled, glad that what I thought was a condemned fate could be used for good.

"And so what do you do during the day then?" I asked, looking up at him, hoping he'd explain why he'd missed school a whole week, but failed to visit me during the day.

He hesitated, smirking slightly as if enjoying a private joke. "You'll probably think I'm mad," he said.

"Try me."

"I go to school." There was silence, during which I didn't say anything. "Rosalie, Emmett, and I pretend to be seniors, while Edward pretends to be a junior. Just recently, though," he said, laughing slightly as he spoke, "I've decided I had enough of biology and upgraded myself to physics."

I was so close to getting an answer, I worked hard to restrain myself from bursting out my question. "It seems like there's a reason you're not quite explaining," I said, hoping not to intrude too much.

"I might be able to teach you how to hunt, but it doesn't mean I'm perfect," he said, stiffening a bit. "In school, there's a large concentration of people. The smell is overwhelming. I'm amazed at how my siblings handle it, but then again, they've been at this longer than I have."

"So biology was particularly bad for you?" I asked.

He laughed. "No, but my lab partner seemed a bit more interested in me than necessary. Aside from the fact that she smelled delectable, I felt so uncomfortable." I laughed at him.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, calming myself. He didn't say anything as my laughter died down. "Does any of your family have an ability, like you do?" I asked hesitantly, afraid he wouldn't answer.

He did pause, contemplating whether or not to answer, until, finally, he said, "Yes. Edward can read minds."

So my suspicions were true. Those times I thought Edward was talking to himself, he must have been reading his sibling's minds in between. I didn't know how to feel about that, except, right now, confused.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked.

"He can read minds?" I asked, trying to sound incredulous.

"Most. There's an exception, though, apparently."

"Who?" I asked, yearning for more information.

"Ironically enough, that girl from my bio class. He couldn't help but learn about how uncomfortable this girl made me feel, having read my thoughts, and wanted to know if it were true. But he couldn't find what she was thinking. It bothered him as much as it made him curious. So, when I switched out of bio, he switched in. He wants to try and break her."

When Jasper left me that morning, having to return home to get ready for school, my head buzzed with everything I'd learned. I tried to push it out of my mind and concentrate on simple tasks like getting dressed and finishing off my homework.

When I arrived at the edge of the woods for school, I waited. I was early, so if I remained where I was, I was bound to hear every car headed for school, and the talk of all its occupants. All too soon, I heard a rush of a sports cart and the hauntingly familiar chatter of the Cullen clan.

"Going to try to talk to her, Edward?" I heard Jasper ask.

"I told you, I don't know yet," Edward stressed, like he'd said that several times.

"So where were you all last night, Jazz?" I heard Emmett's curious voice ask.

"Shut up, Emmett, I'm talking to Edward."

"Can you find out, Edward? I'm curious."

"I know you're curious, Em, but he's not thinking about it, so how could I?"

"What are you going to say?"

"I don't know, Jazz!"

Their conversation was dimmed by the resonating thuds of an approaching stereo system. No matter how much I thirsted for information, I was glad. I don't know how much more of their bickering I could handle.

Double checking that my cloak was in full effect (even though it was slowly becoming second nature when I was around humans) I stepped out of the woods and entered the school grounds.

Throughout the day, I tried hard to keep the Cullens from my mind.

At lunch, I didn't dare look at them, and kept my ears on the conversation at the table.

"So any chance you'd come to First Beach in two weeks, Bella?" Mike asked, after summarizing their plans.

"I'm not sure," I told him. "I'd have to ask my dad." He surprisingly didn't press the matter, but maybe because Jessica tried to capture his attention. I had a feeling she didn't like his interest in me any more than I did, but perhaps for different reasons.

Mike walked me to biology, chattering all the way. When we entered class early, he sat on the edge of my lab desk, going in to full detail about whatever funny thing his friend Tyler had done this past weekend. I couldn't help but notice the lithe walk of an approaching peer, or the squeak of the chair next to me as it was pulled out, and then occupied.

Mike cleared his throat after finishing his story, a rather determined look on his face. I felt wary – I knew that face too well already.

Not before quickly glancing over at my lab partner, Mike said, "So if you come to First Beach, you're more than welcome to ride in my car, Bella. I'll be sure to save a spot for you."

I tried to smile kindly, suppressing my irritation. "Thanks, Mike, but once again, I'll still need to ask my father."

Mike shrugged and returned to his seat as Mr. Varner began writing notes on the board. He still seemed overconfident about wooing me, something that made me only more irritated.

Frazzled, I turned to look down at my book to open it and take notes, only to catch Edward Cullen smirking.

"Something funny?" I demanded before I could help myself. He looked slightly taken aback, not expecting me to notice or retort.

He looked at me, and his eyes bore in to mine, as if searching for something. It was then that I remembered that Jasper mentioned how Edward couldn't read his lab partner's mind, which was mine.

"Nothing," he said, still smirking. The smirk didn't quite reach his eyes though, which still looked confused. I glared at him and he smiled teasingly back. A moment passed and we were still staring into each other's eyes, unable to break away.

"Er … Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Varner's voice called.

"The Kreb's Cycle," he answered, glancing up front. I directed my eyes to my notebook and took down all the notes Mr. Varner had given so far, not caring to be discreet about my speed.

For the rest of the class, Mr. Varner lectured and gave notes. In the last ten minutes, however, everyone's attention started to wane, especially with the sudden snowfall outside.

"I'm sorry I laughed," came a soft voice next to me. I looked up incredulously to find Edward's face half-turned towards me, but not quite looking at me.

"It's fine," I said, trying to shrug it off and look indifferent. He snickered, but tried to hide it.

"What's your problem?" I burst out, unable to stop myself.

He turned serious. "It's just - fascinating, how much attention they all give you. When you don't even want it …."

"How do you know I don't want it?" I countered hypothetically.

"Well I'm normally very good with reading people," he began.

"Normally?" I cut him off.

"Yes. You, however, I can't quite read. But regardless, your manner is enough to show you don't want anything to do with Michael." He said Mike's name with a sneer.

"And why would you care about that?" I demanded.

Edward turned looking forward, staring at nothing in particular. His expression was fathomless. "I don't know," he murmured, only loud enough for someone with our incredulous hearing to have heard. Therefore, he didn't think I'd noticed, and turned back to me, smirking, then shrugged.

I gave him a look of loathing right as the bell rang and he hopped up out of his seat and sped out of the room like any other day.

Why was he so curious about Mike's attraction to me? I wondered.

Mike made his way over towards me, but kept glancing over his shoulder at the door through which Edward just left.

"I don't like Cullen," he said, mostly to himself, as he approached me.

I shrugged, not commenting on the matter. I walked next to Mike in silence to gym. Not that it was unusual, only my mind was - for once - thinking about Mike. Why had they all been so interested in me? I mean my cloak did work, didn't it? I'd never truly asked a human before, but I was sure it made me look no more than average.

As we entered the gym building, Mike asked me if I felt okay. I nodded weakly, playing it up. I decided to ask the coach if I could go to the nurse, having felt nauseous. She agreed and I made my way over to the main office.

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