Chapter Five

Willow's POV

Vampire. He's a vampire. It makes no sense, and yet it all fits. I sit on my bed in sweatpants and an old t-shirt with my laptop in my lap. I couldn't sleep or eat or even think after I got home, so it's now three in the morning. Three in the morning is when I start to Google strange stuff, like 'vampire' and 'cold skin', among other things. Most of the results I get are utterly absurd, except for one website that has some local legends to the Pacific Northwest. I suppose if I went up to Port Angles sometime there might be a local store there where I could- I stop myself. I'm going crazy, I think. Vampires aren't real.

That night, I have a horrible nightmare about people with pale skin and bright red eyes chasing me through the forest, and I wake up around 8:00 covered in cold sweat and feeling kind of sick. I can hear rain outside, which means the other kids won't be going to La Push today.

Bella sticks her head in my door. "Hey, sorry about being mean to you about Edward," she says. "It's just that-I was sure he liked me."

I stare at her, stunned. I don't think she's ever apologized to me before. "Thanks," I say. "That's big of you."

She nods, and stares at the ground. "Anyways, since it's raining, Angela and Jess and I thought we'd go to Port Angeles and look at dresses. Next weekend there's a spring dance or something," she says. "None of us really have dates, but we'd thought we'd go anyways. Want to come?"

Again, I'm stunned. Bella doesn't usually act like this. Maybe Forks has changed her, too.

"Yeah, of course," I say, hoping to go to a bookstore there and maybe get more information on my crazy theory.

"Okay. Jess said we could take her car. We'll probably go after lunch sometime."

After lunch, Bella and I pile into Jessica's car, a much newer car then our truck. Bella sits in the front with Jess and I sit in the back with Angela. "So you and Cullen, huh?" are the first words out of her mouth.

"No," I say automatically. "At least, I don't think so. He's very hard to understand."

She laughs. "Well, at least he's speaking to you. He never even talks to anybody besides his siblings. You're going to be famous for this," she jokes, and that makes Jess laugh, too. Much to my gratefulness, the conversation turns away from Edward and on to smaller things like dresses and dates and other things that I could care less about but am happy to talk about. It takes my mind off other things.

We get to Port Angles around three, and spend some time in a little dress shop. I'm not planning on going to the dance, but I give my opinion on the dresses that the others try on.

Bella walks out in the fifth dress of the day, something blue and frilly, and spins around. "Do you like it, Willow?" she asks.

Again, I'm stunned that she even wants my opinion. "Yeah, it looks really good on you," I say.

"That's what you said about the last four dresses," she pouts.

"Well, they all looked good," I say. "Hey, would it be alright if I walked up to a little bookstore that's around here? I could meet you guys at the restaurant in an hour," I say.

I get a mumbled 'Sure' from Jess and Bella, and walk out into the early evening. The rain has stopped, and I can even start to see the beginnings of a sunset. I walk up the little street lined with shops, watching a lone shiny car drive past me down the street. I can't help but think of Edward, who has a similar car. I find the bookstore easily enough, but it's closed. From what I can see through the window, I don't think it would be of much help to me anyways.

I start to walk back in the direction that I think is the restaurant, prepared to just wait there and enjoy the small amount of good weather, but turn the corner and find myself in the more industrial part of town. I figure I must just be on the other side, and if I walk to the other end of the street, I'll be back where I started and make a sort of loop. I'm terrible with directions, though, and feel a nervous feeling creeping up on me when I hear a shout behind me. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" I turn around, and see a group of men standing there, looking very drunk and probably dangerous.

I turn and keep walking, faster this time. That's when more of them appear at the other end of the street. "Hey! What are you running for?" one them shouts, and I feel frozen and trapped, my heart beating of my chest. They advance, and I feel that same surge within me that I felt before I imploded the van. Right as the blue flash goes off, a shiny car screeches to a halt in front of the sidewalk.

"Get in!" Edward snarls at me, reaching over and flinging open the passenger door. Not wanting to look at the damage I've caused, I climb in, slamming the door shut behind me.

He looks angrier than I've seen him. "Distract me," he growls, his eyes flashing with something inhuman, possibly further confirming my theory.

I'm not sure what to say, so I say the first thing that pops into my head. "Don't worry, I think I got them. Like the van. I could be charged with murder, if that makes you feel any better."

He seems to relax a bit, and turns the car back onto the main street. "They were fine. Whatever you can do-it didn't hurt them, just surprised them." He glances back. "What I'm going to do them, however…" he says, but doesn't finish the sentence.

"How did you find me?" I ask. He chooses not to answer that question.

"Where can I take you?"

"I think Jess, Bella, and Angela were going to have dinner at a restaurant a little ways down, but I supposed to meet them five minutes ago, so…" I trail off as he pulls up in front of the Italian restaurant.

I get out, expecting him to drive away in anger, but he gets out as well. We're walking up to the entrance just as Jess, Bella, and Angela are walking out.

"Oh, Willow there you-" starts Bella, and then she sees Edward. "Oh, hi," she says curtly. Jess and Angela are standing behind her, speechless.

"Good evening," he says, and they all just stand there, gawking, before Jess finally speaks up.

"Sorry, Willow, we got hungry and ate early. We assumed you'd just join us at some point. I swear, we were going to look for you right now," she says.

Edward slides an ice cold arm around my waist, making me shiver. "That's alright, I'll get her some dinner and take her home," he says.

They all gape at me, and I smile sheepishly. "Well, have fun, then," mumbles Bella, and her, Jess, and Angela walk to Jess's car while Edward steers me inside the restaurant.

I watch him give the waiter money to get a more private table in the back, and almost want to laugh. I've only ever seen people do that in the movies. We sit down at the table, and waitress walks over, her eyes immediately going to Edward. "Hi, what can I get you to drink?" she asks, and he gestures to me.

"Uh, Coke, please," I say, and she reluctantly turns to look at me.

"Make that two," he says, and I eye him suspiciously.

She walks away, probably to go and gush about him to her friends in the kitchen, and he turns to look at me. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, why?"

He laughs, but it seems bitter. "You almost get attacked by those men, and then shoot blue energy out of your hands, and you're just-okay?" he says.

"I'm with you. You make me feel okay," I say matter-of-factly.

He looks taken aback, but the surprised look quickly leaves his face. "I shouldn't make you feel okay," he mutters.

The waitress brings us the drinks, and he pushes them both towards me. I take a long swig of Coke, feeling the sugar working its way into my body and making me feel less apprehensive. I read off something random for my meal, because he insists that I get food, and the waitress leaves again, obviously disappointed, because he doesn't even look at her.

"Again, how did you find me?" I say, finishing off the first drink and pulling the second one towards me.

"I tracked your scent," he says, and I frown, but if my theory is correct, that isn't too abnormal. "And when I heard those men's thoughts-"

"Wait," I say. "You heard their thoughts?"

"You can shoot blue energy from your hands that destroys cars. Is it so abnormal that I can hear thoughts? Besides, you don't have anything to worry about. I can't hear yours."

I let that sink in as the waitress sets my food in front of me. "What about Bella?" I ask. "Can you hear hers? Can the rest of your family read thoughts? How far out can you hear them? Can-"

He cuts me off. "Eat first, and then I'll answer," he says.

I eat, not taking my eyes off of him. After a few bites, he finally starts talking. "Your sister's thoughts are so loud it's like someone is screaming in my ear. No, I'm the only one in my family that can hear thoughts, and as for how far I can hear them, it depends on how often I've heard the person's 'voice'. Any more questions?" he asks.

"No, not about that," I say. "But I think I know what you are."

"Yeah, I think you do, too," he says, and waves the waitress over to pay the bill. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, I guess," I say.

We walk out into the cool evening, and I shiver, remembering I had a jacket, but left it in Jess's car. "Here, take mine," he says, and drapes his jacket over my shoulders. It smells really good, just like him. But I would never tell him that.

We get into his car, and so begins the strangest car ride I've ever had in my entire life.