A/N: Nothin much to say here. I had a little trouble with this chapter, but it came out alright, I think...
Thank you for all of the lovely, wonderful, amazing reviews! They seriously make me giggle like a little kid. :P
Chapter 11 is Bella PoV
Calefaction
Chapter 11
Demons, Auras and Vampires…Oh my!
"So, what's up with Alice?"
I glanced up from perfecting my octagon note-folding technique at Emmett's murmured question to Edward. Though five minutes had passed since the bell rang, our Spanish teacher, Senora Gomez, was conspicuously absent, and I couldn't see the harm in a little extra-curricular activity until she arrived. A tennis ball whizzed past, perilously close to my face, and I grimaced, though Edward easily leaned in and caught it before tossing it in the garbage, ignoring the chagrined "Hey!" of the ball's owner. Apparently I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the unexpected free time.
Edward, in the desk to my left, shifted slightly, a thoughtful expression momentarily crossing his handsome face. His shoulders rose and fell in an unconvincing shrug. "What do you mean?"
I looked at Emmett, sitting in front of me, though currently facing the aisle. He rolled his eyes at Edward's obviously intentional perplexity. "I mean what's. Up. With. Alice?" He didn't elaborate.
Aside from my impish older sister's morning fashion insanity, I hadn't noticed anything too out of the ordinary, and I'd just seen her a little over an hour ago. Of course, preoccupation with my own first day jitters probably didn't make me the most observant person. I watched Edward curiously.
He absently rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes, dark today, shifting between the two of us. He sighed heavily, shaking his head, before leaning closer. Emmett and I did the same. When he spoke, Edward's voice was hurried, laced with concern. "Okay, Alice had a vision this morning. I told her I wouldn't inform anyone else, but I feel it's important, because it may concern the safety of our family. There's a human. A human girl. She's a student here, and Alice sees her in our future. The visions are hazy, but it appears almost as though we befriend her?" He sounded skeptical and I couldn't blame him. Even as the human member of the Cullen family, I could count the number of friends I'd made at school on one hand. Edward blew out a slow breath, and I felt slightly dizzy as the cool, sweet air bathed my face. He frowned and pulled back slightly, continuing, "There was something in particular, something near the end that has me worried. Other than avoiding this girl, I don't know that there are any preventative measures we can take, but if things progress according to Alice's vision, I don't believe it ends well. I can't tell if that's for her or us."
I stared at him, mouth agape. Questions, imaginings and possibilities all swirled through my mind, a wild, incoherent hurricane. Who was she? Why was she here? Could she be in some way involved with my sudden mystery illness? Had Edward or Alice confronted her?
Emmett easily cleared my mind as he asked a question whose answer could have been a million times worse than any of mine.
"Edward. Are you sure she's human? Could she be a Volturi member? Maybe they've finally heard about Carlisle's decision." He nodded slightly toward me, and I felt my stomach drop straight through my toes.
I'd known this was a possibility. We all had.
But when Carlisle had seated me in his study three years ago and explained vampire law and the Volturi, I had never actually believed it would happen. If they were to find out that I knew of their existence, but remained mortal... Well, I would definitely be getting my wish early. But I wouldn't want it, not like that. Not under threat of death, tainted by fear. I couldn't even wrap my mind around the idea of what would have happened if they'd found out when I was still a child.
Edward's warm, velvet voice dislodged the icy fingers of fear that had wrapped around my heart and were steadily squeezing. "She's definitely human." He smiled faintly at me, lightly taking my hand and rubbing my knuckles reassuringly. "The Volturi would never use a human for such a task." I nodded mutely, slowly rebounding from the incapacitating terror that had claimed me. "Though at least with the Volturi we would know what we are up against. This human...I don't know..."
"Have you met her?"
Edward nodded, his fingertips tracing small designs on my palm. I felt myself slowly relaxing against the uncomfortable wooden chair.
"Does she seem like a threat?"
I slanted Emmett a glance. He was definitely slipping into aggressive protector mode. His big hands clenched convulsively into tight fists, before relaxing, only to repeat the action several seconds later. His dark brows were furrowed into an angry grimace, and his topaz eyes held a hint of something feral.
Edward was silent for several seconds, perhaps assessing his answer. Finally, he reluctantly replied, "No. Not at all. She's Alice's size, maybe a little smaller even."
"What about up here?" Emmett tapped the side of his head.
"She's smart." Edward gave a start, as though he'd just thought of something. "Perhaps smart enough to have heard the legends and figured us out..."
Emmett muttered an expletive beneath his breath.
Edward hastily backpedaled. "But even if that were the case, there's no way she could know about my ability, and she wasn't thinking anything like that at all."
Emmett just shook his head. "Who is it?"
I squeezed Edward's hand lightly, curious as to the identity of this potential threat myself.
Edward faltered, before shaking his head. "Alice is going to have words with me for even telling you two as it is. I'd better not..."
Emmett's fist promptly tightened around his pencil until all that was left was dust. I blinked.
"Edward. Tell me."
"Yes, because I'm sure you'd show as much restraint with her as you did that poor writing utensil were I to disclose her name."
Emmett growled quietly, and I glanced around furtively, hoping no one had heard. Luckily, everyone seemed more than happy to engage in loud, raucous behavior with the teacher's absence, and other than the occasional curious glance, we seemed to be of little interest.
"I have a right to know," Emmett insisted.
Edward was saved from answering as our dark-haired Spanish teacher finally arrived, launching right into a, "Buenos dias mis estudiantes! Lo siento que soy tarde..."
I missed the explanation as to why she was late, retreating into my own thoughts.
Why hadn't Alice wanted us to know about this mysterious new threat? Was she even really a threat? Perhaps we were the threat to her. After all, look at how Emmett had reacted... And though I'd never seen it firsthand, I'd heard that Jasper wasn't exactly known for his amazing self-control.
But who was she, and what did she want? Did she know about us? Was she going to find out? Was she just a normal, everyday person, coming into this blind?
I resolved that this was a discussion that we would definitely be having at lunch.
"Senorita Cullen?"
I looked up, pasting a smile in place. "Si, Senora Gomez?"
While I was a far cry from fluent in Spanish, certainly nowhere near as good as my siblings, who'd been practicing numerous languages for five times my life span, I was a fair hand at speaking and an even better one at understanding it.
"Por que no dice mejor le dices a la clase un poquito acerca de ti?"
Ugh. Could I tell the class a little bit about myself? You couldn't escape it! Not even in a class where you didn't know the language fully. I sighed. "En espanol?"
She smiled, nodding. "Por favor."
I stumbled through the obligatory retelling of who I was and what I did over the summer, the entire time wishing for a fault line somewhere to miraculously open up and swallow me whole, before taking my seat, willing my cheeks to resume a normal color.
After Emmett and Edward had each taken their turns, both unnecessarily showing off, and we'd chosen our Spanish names for the year, Emmett started right back in. I couldn't hear what was being said, it was either too quick or quiet, but I could tell by the look of consternation that continually creased Edward's brow, and the scowl that twisted Emmett's lips.
I had to admit, I was curious. I wanted to meet this girl. See what she was like. Find out what the fuss was.
Maybe tell her to stay the hell away from my family...
As class was winding down I glanced up from my doodling, having long since finished the assignment, to find Emmett grinning triumphantly. I quickly looked to Edward, who was frowning.
"Did you tell him?" I asked, quietly incredulous.
Edward shook his head, shooting Emmett a glare.
"Then what..."
"He told me what she looked like," Emmett declared, his smile widening.
He...told Emmett what she looked like? That didn't seem particularly helpful in a school populated by so many students.
Emmett seemed to read my thoughts from my expression.
"How many girls in this school do you think are smaller than Alice with flaming red hair?"
Ohhhh...
"Edward!" I admonished.
He shrugged helplessly. "I didn't think of it!"
Emmett was staring at the clock, already on the edge of his seat. Oh...this was going to be interesting. I quickly jammed my text book into my backpack, shoving my assignment in after it.
The very second the beginning trill of the bell sounded, Emmett was out of his seat. I was hot on his heels. I could feel Edward bringing up a close third.
We raced out of the building and I nearly ran into the solid wall of Emmett's back as he came to an abrupt halt, avoiding the collision only as Edward's hands closed over my hips, his fingers cool against that small bit of exposed skin. I drew a quick breath, my heart stuttering slightly.
"Alright?" he murmured near my ear.
I nodded mutely, mildly horrified by the traitorous, uncontrollable responses of my body. First Jasper, now Edward? Oh, this was not good.
I didn't have time to ponder this newest insanity as Emmett jogged across the parking lot, where I saw a small, red-haired girl standing against the side of one of the buildings, with her face buried in a book. I quickly dashed after them. He wouldn't do something rash would he?
"Would he?" I gasped to Edward, who kept pace with me.
He frowned. "We'd best follow, to be safe."
Emmett had just disappeared around the corner and I forced my legs faster. Edward's hand at my elbow reminded me that it wasn't the wisest idea for someone like me to be running across the slippery, wet ground, but I was counting on him to catch me if I fell.
"Always," he said with a smile.
I came to a skidding stop as we followed Emmett around the edge of the building.
"Emmett!" I exclaimed in horror, taking in the scene before me quickly.
Emmett had the poor, frightened looking girl trapped against the side of the building, a massive hand on either side of her head. She clutched her battered book to her chest as though it were some type of shield against Emmett's anger. His face was very near hers, his teeth bared, and I heard him growl softly, "Who are you?"
The girl shot me a pleading glance, and I couldn't help but be reminded of the night when Edward had nearly lost it. I took a step forward, only to have Edward stop me with a hand on my arm.
What?! We need to stop him, he's terrifying her.
His murmur was low, "Perhaps we'll find something out..."
I was honestly appalled by his agreement with these mercenary tactics.
No! Stop him right now!
"Just give him a moment."
Seeing that she would be getting no help from our direction, the girl forced a tentative smile, holding her hand out slightly, "Um...Lysandra Jenkins? Nice to meet you?"
Emmett glared at the outstretched appendage until she pulled it back.
"Who are you?" he repeated quietly.
She shifted uncomfortably, trying to sink into the brick at her back.
"Well, I know I didn't give you my middle name, but that's only because it's one of those embarrassing, ridiculous sorts of..."
Emmett cut her off with a quiet growl, and I struggled against Edward's restraining grasp. He didn't budge.
The girl's spine seemed to straighten suddenly, however, and she actually took a step closer, until almost no space was left between the two of them.
"As I stated, my name is Lysandra. Who are you?"
"Emmett Cullen," he murmured. "Stay away from my family."
She blinked, apparently taken aback by that statement.
"I'm sorry, do you have a thing for Edward?" she asked innocently. "I mean, I know I was talking to him, but I really have no romantic interest..."
Emmett suddenly stepped forward, effectively shoving her against the building and pinning her there with his weight.
Edward! Enough! Stop him before he hurts her.
I watched in horror as Emmett leaned in, breathing deeply as his face neared the girl's neck. She squirmed uncomfortably, pushing ineffectually at his broad chest.
Oh my God! Edward! Please!
I looked at his face, but he stared impassively at the scene unfolding.
Lysandra exhaled in surprise as Emmett's lips lightly brushed her throat. I could only gape. What...What was he doing? What about Rose? How had he gone from interrogation to making out? His eyes briefly shot toward Edward and me, and I noticed they'd gone completely black...Oh my God...
He's going to bite her...Edward!
He released me, taking a quick step forward just as Alice's sweet voice trilled,
"Emmett! There you are!"
She came racing around the corner, swiftly taking Emmett by the arm and forcibly dragging him away.
Jasper was only a second behind. He came to a halt beside me, his hand resting on my lower back. I shivered lightly as his fingers stroke thed exposed skin there faintly. His eyes moved over my face concernedly.
"Are you alright?" he murmured.
I began to nod, but Edward cut me off, replying coolly, "She's fine."
They exchanged a glance, laden with something I couldn't begin to comprehend, before Jasper's thumb traced the tiny dimple just beneath the denim at my waist, and everything in my mind promptly scattered into mumbling incoherence. Edward uttered a quiet growl, taking a step forward, but Jasper simply turned away, smiling easily as he approached the confused girl, huddled in on herself against the wall. The warm pulse of tranquility he exuded washed over the area, dispelling the fear and confusion that had been dominant.
"Hello there, Lysandra is it?"
She blinked, her head turning slowly toward him. She nodded mutely.
"I wanted to apologize for my brother's behavior. He forgot to take his medication this morning, and we generally keep an eye on him," Jasper shot Edward a glare here, "but he got away from us. Are you alright?"
Again with the blinking. As though she thought she was just waking from an unbelievable dream. Poor girl. And having the surreal beauty of my vampire family around couldn't be helping.
"I...I think so..." she breathed, smiling hesitantly.
He nodded encouragingly. "Good. He didn't hurt you at all?" He purposefully slanted a surreptitious glance to her neck. I felt my stomach tighten with the idea that Emmett might have an unintentionally created a new vampire. The coils loosened at the look of relief that crossed Jasper's face.
"I don't think so, no. He just surprised me."
I stepped forward, thinking it'd be best if she had some actual human interaction at this point.
"Like Jasper said," I nodded toward him, "I'm really sorry about that. I'm Bella, by the way."
She looked at me, and I half expected that appraising glance that I was usually on the receiving end of. The one that made me feel completely inferior to my family. But she simply met my gaze and nodded.
"Really, it's alright. I'm...I'm fine." She sounded slightly surprised, as though she couldn't believe it.
And with good reason.
My stomach rumbled quietly, reminding me of where we'd be if it weren't for Emmett's sudden misbehavior.
I took another step closer. "Want to go get some lunch?" I had a feeling that of any of us, I was the most likely to find out information about this mysterious new girl.
She moved away from Jasper quickly, no doubt sensing that, like Emmett, there was something she should fear from him, at least on some instinctive level.
"Sure, I'd like that." She hesitated, turning back to smile faintly at Jasper. "Hey thanks."
He nodded, smiling cordially.
I heard his voice, quiet and sharp as we headed in the direction of the cafeteria, presumably speaking to Edward.
"We need to talk."
I only hoped he'd proceed to yell at him half as much as I'd planned to.
"So, your brother's pretty scary," the wide-eyed redhead sitting across from me declared, taking a huge bite of her bagel. It was strange to be sitting with someone else that ate. Truth be told, it was kind of nice.
I hungrily shoveled a bite of salad into my mouth, laughing lightly as I washed it down with some lemonade. "Which one?"
She chuckled, wiping her fingers on her napkin. "Touché."
My smile faded as I watched her. Emmett's black gaze momentarily filled my mind and I realized she had absolutely no idea how much she'd really had to fear. For a split second I wondered if Carlisle couldn't be considered slightly irresponsible for allowing his 'children' to attend school like this, where almost anything at all seemed able to send even the most disciplined over the edge. I banished the thought as swiftly as I'd summoned it. They'd been doing this for years before my arrival. Who was I to question their self-control? I hurried to reassure my potential friend, "Yeah, Emmett definitely wasn't himself. I can't even begin to imagine what came over him." It was half true. While I understood the basic fundamentals that had caused Emmett to react as he had, I really couldn't imagine what it must be like.
Shrugging lightly, she finished her bagel and started on an apple. "It's alright. It freaked me out a little bit, but I'm relatively unharmed."
"Relatively?" I echoed, hastily looking at her neck. Because my human vision would've been better than Jasper's, right?
She nodded, inattentive to my examination. "You know, emotional trauma, because my first day just hadn't been exciting enough."
I laughed. Now there, I could sympathize.
"Did you break someone's nose in gym class?" I countered bemusedly.
She looked up in surprise, obviously trying to suppress laughter, God bless her.
"I can't say that I did," she struggled, and I had to give her points for trying to let the subject drop, but only a few seconds elapsed before she exclaimed, "You actually broke it?!"
I shook my head, grinning. "I don't think it was actually broken, but it may as well have been for all the blood."
She chuckled. "Yikes. It's not bad enough that we've got to be the subject on everyone's mind for being new, karma likes to toss a few extra challenges our way."
I saw my opportunity and decided to find out what I could. Subterfuge really wasn't my specialty, but I truly was curious about her, so perhaps this wouldn't require too much on the sneaky front.
"That's right, you're new too. How are you liking it so far?"
She smiled, glancing at the window briefly. "Oddly enough, I like the weather."
I snorted. "Weirdo."
"I know, I know," she held up her hands with a smile. "I don't know what it is, but I've always been fond of the rain. The town itself? Well, it's creepily small. Most of these kids have been going to school together for years now, and to get thrust into that, well; it's like swimming in a stagnant pond. New genetic material hasn't been introduced around here in a very long time." She grinned, and I couldn't help but do the same. "How about you?"
"Seems like we've always lived places where the sun didn't shine much," I admitted, hoping she wouldn't question it. "Though I'll be the first person you see outside when it does actually show up."
"With skin like that?" she asked, not unkindly.
"You're one to talk," I countered with a smile. I was surprised at how incredibly easy she was to talk to.
"Hey, I avoid the sun at all costs. I'm not trying to turn into one giant freckle."
I snickered. "Why the move to Forks?"
She grimaced slightly. "I live with my grandmother, and she grew up around here. Now that my grandfather's dead, she decided it was time to move back."
I wanted to ask, but I knew Esme would have my head if I actually blurted the question on the tip of my tongue. Lysandra took pity on me.
"They're dead, by the way." Her smile was only a little sad.
"I'm sorry," I murmured sincerely.
She shook her head. "It's alright. It's been a while now, so it's not as hard."
In that aspect I knew I was incredibly lucky. I lived with seven immortal beings. I would most likely never have to suffer such a loss.
"How?" I regretted it the second I'd whispered the question. Possibly just as thoughtless as the one I'd resisted asking.
She stiffened slightly, briefly, and I thought she was going to tell me to mind my own business. I wouldn't have blamed her at all if she had. Instead, her shoulders slumped slightly and she said, "They were camping. A trip I'd refused to go on thanks to my typically rebellious thirteen year old attitude problem." She sighed, pausing. I wanted to apologize for asking, tell her she needn't continue, but she suddenly spoke again. "They were mauled in their sleep." I shook my head in mute horror. "The police claimed it was a bear, the coroner said wolves. The only thing they could really agree on was that it was unusual behavior for the native wildlife. The bodies were barely recognizable. I wanted to believe that it wasn't them. It didn't look like them, so I could pretend, right?" She shook her head.
I could only stare. 'I'm sorry' seemed insultingly shallow for such a thing, but I uttered it anyway.
She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Like I said, it was a while ago. I just...It's not something I think you ever get over completely, you know?"
I didn't. I didn't know. I couldn't comprehend how such a tragedy had occurred in her life and yet here she sat, as normal as can be.
This girl, broken and re-pieced together was our potential threat?
I wasn't buying it.
Alice was wrong, or misunderstanding. I'd be sure to let her know my thoughts on the matter the very second I next saw her.
I hesitantly changed the subject. "What class have you got next?"
"AP Lit." She seemed relieved that I was steering clear of the previous topic.
"Hey, me too. And Jasper, I think."
She nodded. "The cute one with that little hint of Southern drawl?"
I felt a minor pang of something that I refused to name as jealousy. "Yup, that's the one."
"So, you guys can't possibly all be related by blood," she ventured.
I shook my head with a laugh. "Oh no. Carlisle and Esme, our parents, adopted us all. They're unable to have children themselves."
The look of confusion she'd been wearing eased. "I see. There are five of you then?"
"Six, actually. Rose is done with school already." The lies had been rehearsed and performed so often that I didn't even have to stop and think about them.
"Lucky her."
"I know."
"Jasper's the tall blonde, he's a senior. There's Alice, the teensy one that always looks like she's dancing. Edward, who I think you'd already met, is the sort of cocky looking one. And Emmett..."
"Is a fool for not having come over here to apologize already?" a lazy voice suggested. We both glanced up in surprise as Jasper approached. I hadn't even realized he'd come in. He slid silently into the seat next to Lysandra and I couldn't help but smile; she almost looked like a child sitting beside him. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
She smiled, shaking her head. "Not at all. Bella was just telling me a little bit about your family."
Jasper nodded, slanting a glance in my direction. I was expecting that pointed, "How much did you tell her?" look, but he just smiled. Something briefly danced to life in my stomach.
"Only good things, I hope."
I felt full and relaxed, particularly under Jasper's calming influence, and resting my chin in my palm, I watched the two of them almost sleepily.
She was staring at his face in that way that humans who were unaccustomed to their presence did; all wide eyes and smiles. Poor girl.
She managed to retain wits enough, at least, to respond cheekily, "Of course. Oh, except for that Jasper guy.
He sounds like a real jerk."
Jasper arched a brow, and because I was so open to his emotional influence, I felt a slight fluctuation in his. A small wave of bemused surprise. I didn't suppose he was used to being teased by humans. I laughed quietly in response.
"She's right about that, darlin'. It'd be in your best interest to stay away from him."
I stiffened slightly, a flash of irritation causing my eyes to narrow. The emotion snuck up on me so quickly that I didn't realize I'd planned to lean forward and glare in their direction until I'd actually done it. Jasper's look was startled as he suddenly turned toward me.
Darlin'...
Darlin'...
He was not allowed to call anyone that but me!
The sudden possessive thought made me incredibly glad that Edward was no where in sight.
Realization that the words were on the tip of my tongue made me incredibly glad that Jasper was around to make me feel so lethargic.
I swatted the annoying feeling away with a frown.
Just because I was attracted to him did not mean I was going to turn into one of those girls. I had absolutely no claim on him. He wasn't mine. I hadn't even told him how I felt. And I wasn't going to.
Besides, he wasn't interested in her. She was a human.
So are you, a small voice whispered cruelly in the back of my mind.
My thoughts were as irritating as gnats today. I silently hastened to justify just why he wouldn't be interested.
She was a random human. A potential lapse in judgment. A snack!
I was ashamed of myself even as the words formed.
Thankfully, I was saved from my acerbity as the warning bell rang. I quickly grabbed my bag and tray in one hand, promptly tripped standing up, and was righted by Lysandra's hand on my arm. She smiled. She had one of those rare, genuine smiles that you hardly ever see on people anymore. Which served to make me feel all the worse for my thoughts. Did she have to be so nice?
I took her wrist and quickly led her away from the table, amid feeble protestations that she didn't want to seem rude by just leaving our table companion without a word.
"He's in our next class, remember?" The words came out more testily than I'd have liked.
She looked at me then. Withdrew her hand from mine, stopped right in the middle of the school grounds, and turned to face me. I stared right back, tapping my foot as a gesture of impatience. Her eyes widened slightly, suddenly, and she grinned. I didn't like the look of that knowing grin.
"You…like him!" she suddenly exclaimed.
The sudden rush of blood to my head was enough to make me feel light headed.
"W..What?" I felt as though I'd been caught in the middle of some heinous crime and try as I might, I couldn't force the nonchalant chuckle I'd planned to use out of my tight throat. I shook my head.
She narrowed one eye, peering at me closely, and I had an eerie sense of déjà vu. She was looking at me like Edward did when he was rummaging around in my thoughts.
No way.
Can you read minds? I thought the words clearly, concisely, and as loudly as my mental voice was capable of. Her expression didn't even twitch.
Your shoes are hideous. I went for something a bit more inflammatory. It was the meanest I could allow myself with this girl.
Again, she didn't even move.
Several seconds passed, before quite suddenly she blinked, the grin spreading across her face far too Cheshire.
"You do like him."
Feeling at least slightly relieved, considering I wouldn't have to explain just what I'd meant by calling her a 'snack', I urged her toward the literature building.
"How do you figure?" I asked lightly. I was curious. I hadn't thought that I was being blatant. Not that I even liked him! Just…hypothetically. Yes, all hypothetically.
"I don't really like to talk about it. It's kinda weird."
Unless she was going to tell me that she was some kind of super hero, I could probably handle it, I thought wryly. You know, even then, I don't think I'd be that shocked.
"Try me."
She shifted her back to her other shoulder looking uncomfortable.
"I can see auras."
Well, that was…not at all what I was expecting. As we entered the building, I lowered my voice.
"Auras?"
She nodded, leading me toward the back. I didn't normally sit this far away, but I was definitely interested to hear more, and I could see why she wasn't overly eager to have others partake in this conversation.
"Yes. An outward manifestation of the health and status of our soul, as well as our emotion, normally invisible to the eye."
She was frowning slightly as she looked at me, and I was sure she was expecting me to refute her claim.
I slid into my seat, setting my backpack in the seat next to mine for Jasper, thinking. It wasn't that far fetched. It made sense that whatever was going on inside of us escaped in some form. Plus, I lived with seven vampires.
Vampires.
"How do you read them?" I asked eagerly.
She sat down next to me, watching me suspiciously.
"You…believe me?"
I nodded. "Sure. There's a lot of weird, unexplainable stuff in this world."
She smiled. "You're an odd one, Bella."
I shrugged, chuckling. "I know."
"Well, each of our auras is composed of three parts." She scribbled a rough sketch in her notebook, ripping it out and handing it to me.
A stick figure was surrounded by three hazy outlines.
"The first section, the thin layer closest to the body, is the soul."
I arched a brow, glancing at her. The soul was outside of the body? There I grew skeptical.
"Sorry," she said, realizing her error. "I mean, this is the visual of the soul's consistency. This will tell you what really causes a person to tick. This is a constant, it does not change. It can, however, divide itself in two. When two people are so devoted to one another that they want to share everything about themselves that they can, even their soul, the soul sheds a small portion of itself and merges with the other. This will change the aura as the two combine. The bond is broken upon death, or loss of the other. Your soul will reject the foreign soul, even while desperately clinging to it, trying to stay complete. I've heard this is a very painful experience, emotionally enough to cause almost physical agony."
I stared at her, wide-eyed. "Do you get the other half of your soul back?"
She shook her head.
"No. Your soul has to regenerate itself. This often takes years and years."
I nodded.
"Now, this second, thicker layer, I like to call it the fake aura. These are things that we've built up to protect that first layer. Most of these are superficial, though unfortunately, not easily changed. Beliefs, traditions. In a person whose soul has been fractured, this layer is particularly thick. Guarding what remains."
She sighed softly, before smiling.
"And this final, outward layer is the fleeting emotional aura. Swiftly transitioning, it's the most versatile of the auras, revealing surface level feelings."
I felt my bag land lightly beside my feet, and glanced up. Jasper smiled at me, that evil, lazy smile, and I just about melted. He peered over my shoulder at the paper, which Lysandra quickly plucked out of my hands and crumpled up. Poor girl. He'd probably seen and read everything before she'd so much as thought to take it away from me.
"Lys here was just telling me about auras," I said casually. She shot me a glare.
Jasper watched her quietly for a second, his head cocked to one side. A small fringe of blonde hair fell over his forehead, and my fingers nearly itched to push it away. I scowled, clenching my hands together in my lap.
"You're a reader?" he guessed.
She frowned mutinously, staring at the front.
"Hmmm," was all he said.
The entirety of class was spent with Lysandra alternatively glaring between me and Jasper. Jasper watched me intensely, or looked at my new friend curiously. And I just wanted her to tell me what she saw in my aura!
The second the bell rang, I shot out of my seat, taking Lys with me. Despite her anger, she didn't deny me. We walked swiftly toward a small cluster of buildings.
"Sorry about that, I didn't think he'd guess!" I sighed.
"It's alright. I just don't need the entire school calling me a freak. I've suffered that quite enough."
"He won't tell anyone." It was a lie, and I amended, "Other than the rest of my family."
She sighed, before glancing at me surreptitiously. "They're… different you know."
I tripped over my own feet, catching myself before I hit the ground. She didn't know…what they were, did she?
I nodded slowly. "I know." How much do you?
"They're not human," she declared, barely more than a whisper.
I felt my heart stop, before redoubling. The breath left my lungs in a silent, sudden rush. What was I supposed to say?! Deny it! Deny it Bella!
"Yes, they are," I managed to choke out, though we both knew that too much time had passed for that to be the truth.
"It's alright, you know. I'm not going to tell anyone. I don't even know what they are, really. I just know that their souls are stagnant. They're no longer regenerating, and if the aura is anything to go by, there's very little left of them. More in others. Emmett's is still quite substantial. Edward and Jasper's have dwindled," she shrugged, as though it didn't bother her at all. I wanted to shake her!
But a thought occurred to me.
"They still have souls?!" I hissed, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at me. If she was making all of this up, I would kill her.
She laughed lightly, "Of course they still have souls. To be without, one would have to revert to an utterly animalistic state without any value or moral. Even demons have souls. Or so I'm told."
"D..Demons?" I faltered.
She chuckled. "I've never met one, but I don't doubt their existence. As you said, there is a lot of weird, unexplainable stuff out there."
"They have souls?" I parroted. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation. What normal seventeen year old girl walks around school on their first day spouting off nonsense about demons?
She nodded sagely. "Oh yes. Good and evil is all subjective, you know. They have morals and principles that they work to uphold. Just because they don't match the ideal of yours doesn't mean they're wrong."
I found myself gaping, just barely grasping how we'd come to this point in the conversation.
"Oh! This is me, gotta go," she turned toward the building of her next class, and I grabbed her arm.
"What does mine look like?" I murmured.
She smiled, "I was wondering if you were going to ask."
She took a step back from me, and that appraising gaze swept over me. When she spoke, her voice sounded distant, similar to when Alice explained her visions.
"At the core, you are good, pure. A white, almost silver glow. Intuitive, nurturing. A faint blue ring on the edge. Caring, loving. Your shield aura is very thin. You're very open with your soul. There's a dark blue there, fear of the future. It's mingling with a muddy brown. Insecurity. Your emotions…right now you're rather confused, but when we were in the cafeteria, you were shifting between a brilliant emerald and a forest green. Love and jealousy. They were heavily tinged with a clear, vibrant red, indicating passion."
She blinked, shaking herself.
Wow.
"That's…Weird." I declared.
She laughed, shrugging. "What can I say?"
"Do you want to hang out after school?" I found myself blurting. Not only did I need to find out just how much she knew about the Cullens, but I was wildly curious about what she'd seen in the others.
"Oh." She seemed surprised, both brows raising, before she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Cool. Did you drive?"
She shook her head, making a face. "Bus."
"That's fine, I've got a car."
"Your place or mine?"
I grimaced, thinking of Emmett's inappropriate response to her proximity. "Better be yours."
She nodded, her expression thoughtful. Perhaps she was reliving the same memory.
"Alright. I'll meet up with you in the parking lot after school then."
She waved, turning toward her class.
Well, I could definitely see how this may be a potential threat. She already knew they weren't human! How long until she figured out what they were? Would we have to move? What would they do with her? They wouldn't harm her, would they? Not like anyone would believe her!
I rested my hand against my head, feeling the beginnings of a headache accompanying the whirlwind of my thoughts.
I just needed to talk to someone.
Edward was in my next class, but he'd probably just go right to Carlisle. Emmett was definitely out of the question. Rose didn't even know the girl. And Jasper seemed more curious than concerned.
Alice…Alice had visions about Lys, already knew a bit about her and would probably be the most level-headed, all things considered.
I sighed, hurrying to class, not enjoying the idea of walking in late.
Alice it was.
I shivered slightly, having that strange sense that someone was watching me. The hairs at the nape of my neck prickled, and though I told myself I was being silly, I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder.
A pair of angry gold eyes met mine.
Edward.
Shit…
I sighed in resignation.
Edward it was…
A/N: Let me know what you think! :)
Also, if you're some kind of crazy aura expert, don't come after me about this chapter. I made most of it up, the only thing I looked up was aura colors. I mean, I figure I can do that, it's a vampire story. :)
I haven't taken Spanish in a long time, but a friend of mine promised me that what I wrote here was correct. *crosses fingers*