This is the updated version of Chapter 17: Tanzanite.

For those who are meant to re-read it, the updated version ends when Bella goes to work.


Welcome back! And thank you to LittleCrybaby13, Kathryn L. Malone, KittenAlice2, edwardamcullens, writingblondie, mariaclaradsm0, Stabbyeyes, Aline, Rensie, William Francies Reisen-Newman, Noee, jlap. mypersonalfiles, Amanda Pall, JuniEmerald, myfanficaddiction, MadMac912, NatalieKatee, persephone92, and Aile for reviewing!

LittleCrybaby13, thank you… it's just getting harder to write. I think summer has made me lazy. When I was at school, my brain was turning all the time and writing was more fun, but now that I'm just working and not really working my brain, just seems like I gotta exert so much mental energy to write now. Again, I think now I'm just getting lazy.

Kathryn L. Malone, thank you!

KittenAlice2, Yeah, I'm actually looking forward to writing the pool party. It's going to be next chapter I believe! And will have to see who Morgan is. Right now, we know that Morgan is the younger sister of Abigail and that they do not get along because lack of familial bonds. Pity. Yeah… I have in my story that I want Bella to explain to the Cullens what she is considering that they have been very accommodating to them… but I don't know where to place it in the story.. That's the struggle with that scenario. Like.. do I do it before this scene or after this scene.. Type of deal.

edwardamcullens, honestly, it's just that I'm lazy. I don't know. Not being in school has made me mentally lazy… and made me not want to sit down to type or think. Yes, I wanted bella and Edward to start getting to know each other more, but it seems so far that Edward is sharing more of his life the way that he did in the books… need to fix that. Pool party is what I'm looking forward to writing.

Writingblondie, it's laziness. It really is. Mental laziness is keeping me from writing. And yes. The tension with Bella and Edward really does come down to Bella having been a human and being so vulnerable and unsafe around him. Having her as a succubus who can defend herself really does help ease that canon tension that Edward had. Alice's puppy dog eyes aren't gonna work this time. Bella had to be aware that she is menstrating, and knew to keep her distance… even though menstruation blood isn't appetizing to them. Goodluck at your new job!

Mariaclaradsm0, belward moments will happen. Hopefully soon.

Stabbyeyes, my prescription is on hold apparently, so I am honestly becoming very mentally lazy. I think that's mostly what is holding me back is not working my brain like I used to, especially now that I'm not in school at the moment. Thank you. I'm doing my best with Bella's character, but right now I am having issues trying to push her trust.

Aline, thank you so much! I hope that we can see Bella becoming more trustful in herself eventually!

Rensie, I appreciate that, honestly. Yes, there was so much tension in the books with Edward based on the danger he would bring to human Bella, but since she isn't human, he can put that aside. And yes, she hasn't actually put that in her mind yet that she is forming a bond to them. I believe her trust issues with herself are neglecting her from realizing that she is forming that with them. But yes, the burn has subsided mostly, just like with Quil and Embry.. It went down.

William Francies Reisen-Newman, thanks mate! (:

Noee, Thank you.. I know I appreciate you all so much. It's really warming to have so many supporters on here. I hoped to have been able to expand the relationship between the two of them, but we will see if the Cullens are invited… but so far… I have to follow the timeline haha! I saw your next review and I am very sorry I haven't updated. I do apologize, just haven't been able to challenge myself to write.

Jlap. mypersonalfiles, Hope this chapter does justice! Thank you!

Amanda Pall, I love to see new reviewers and new readers! Haha yes, the idea of Bella being a succubus can be very disturbing if not knowing the context of her character. I'm glad you are enjoying it!

JuniEmerald, no no, Since there isn't a baby in the chamber, that feeling of being close because of it, isn't there.. Besides, I believe if Bella had a baby now, it wouldn't be the same one considering Bella isn't a human and it wouldn't just be half human half vampire. So it's possible Jacob would never imprint on it anyways. Will see though if that route is decided.

myfanficaddiction, First I want to say thank you for letting me reach out to you for some guidance on this chapter. You helped tremendously. Their relationship so far is progressing the way I had hoped and I'm glad I've come with acceptance on that with myself. And yes, she may want him clsoer now (; Well, basically the blood thing will be explained eventually, but not right now, I'm glad you are curious though! I feel the same about canon stories not having Renesmee because… while I think Renesmee definitely ruined Breaking Dawn by us not seeing further into Bella's newborn stage, I still thought it was a very bonding thing between the two of them. She really brought the family together. Yes! She does acknowledge the difference between them because… we need something good going for Bella in all this treachery haha. And Morgan so far is a character who is not identified yet, but we will see how she ties into the story. A good succubus, yes. I don't think I could write Bella with bad intentions and still keep her canon. That was a very important aspect to hold here. Haha I did hope that parallel showed. Smoker energy to animal blood.

MadMac912, well here is your update and thank you! I hope this makes up for time lost!

NatalieKatee, I know it can just be hard sometimes. I do enjoy this story and love the ideas I have thought for it, but sometimes I find it difficult to push them. I am happy and so relieved to finally update again. Thank you so much!

Persephone92, I will continue! Thank you for your kind review

Aile, I'm here! Thank you so much!

All rights to these characters and the Twilight Saga go to Stephenie Meyer. Enjoy!(:

Chapter 17: Tanzanite

The rest of the week had come as expected for any teenager living with her father and going to high school for the next year and a half. It had been an endless cycle day and night of normalcy as I tried to push past what I was, what others were around me to get through the rest of the week. The biology test had gone where I had full commitment that I had done well, and I talked to my friends at the lunch table over topics that pertained to later events that would follow in the school year.

Renee and I had emailed over the week periodically. Hers had been much longer and apprehensive about her plans that she intended to proceed with Phil on the road, but my replies had fallen shorter. The tenor of the emails had alerted Renee to my depression that I was not sure was the case that I had. I felt fine, but strange in the same instance. She would call a few times, worried. I tried to convince her it was just the frequent overcast of rain and clouds that had me down. In the instance of getting her to stop her tyranny to understand what was going on, I instead explained that I had plans the coming weekend to go to a pool party at a classmate's house. This shifted her spirit.

Angela had been busy over the weekend babysitting her twin brothers while Jacob had been working on fixing up some cars for the reservation. He had invited me to come onto the reservation to hang out with him, but with irritation, I had to decline. I knew I was not permitted to enter the reservation, and I had no inclination to find out what would happen if I did.

Without my inability to extend my time to hang out with Jacob and Angela over the weekend, I had taken up the opportunity to go to the local store to buy myself a new pair of sneakers and a pair of jeans. The new pair didn't fit in the way that I would have preferred as the ones I had gotten from the mall in Phoenix did, but they would have to do. I needed new ones that weren't stained and ripped, and I got them. That's what mattered.

I hadn't visited Mrs. Weaver over the rest of the work week. I needed some time away to clear my thoughts on the matter that I knew what she wanted of me. She wanted me to follow in the footsteps of her daughter, the vigilante. I knew her intentions were clearly only to be helpful and to give me a path that I could take if I couldn't handle the conscience of killing innocents, but it still wasn't an answer I needed. Frankly, I didn't believe there was a right answer that could be offered to me, so I had turned to the theories and myths.

The books that I had purchased for myself that covered vampires, sirens, and succubi weren't helpful in providing more understanding, it only grew worse. I had laughed at multiple myths and theories about my own kind that were written down. It was clear the pages were written based on fear from a man who had made up his own suspicions and images of what I was and had actually never come across one to find out. The images were far more extravagant than the truth and sexual intentions of the succubi was the main topic, but if I had gotten anything from the images, the succubus looked more comparable to the Islamic mythological jinn of an ifrit at best. I wondered if this is what Edward had read and seen before in his search, which possibly had been the reason that he had tossed away the initial idea of my being a succubus. None of it was what I was, especially not the images. I ended up not going any further into the myths that were written in each of the books. They had all seemed outlandish.

I thought notoriously over the small banter that I had encountered with the disheveled vampire over the week.

The tip of my pencil broke against the folded papers of my test on my desk as I circled in my answer for a question, causing me to stare intently at it, almost drawing blood from my lower lip. Knowing how that could be a possible issue, I quickly withdrew my pressing teeth from it. I shook off the murderous thoughts towards broken shards of lead on my paper as I felt eyes boring through the strands of my hair that shielded my face.

"For someone who has two medical degrees," I murmured silently enough for him to hear. "I would expect more from you than to be a cheater."

A small chuckle escaped his parted lips that curved into a humorous smile, provoking me to glance over at him, to bore my eyes towards his perfect row of teeth that appeared behind the opening. I almost stared for far too long, assessing the damage they could do to someone, but there were no fangs or elongated canines. They appeared as normal as any pair of dentures that you would see on a young teenage boy, except that they were far too perfect, far too blinding. Although, they did show defined sharpness to them.

When he caught my eyes, his parted lips closed tightly, but the crooked smile didn't fade from the corner of his mouth.

"Of course not, Bella," his reply was only with a small breath. "I was only checking that you knew the information as much as I."

Why that son of a —

I could feel the back of my ears reddening at the thought of him.

Ceramic shards clattering in the sink startled me awake of the daydream of mine as I was staring out into the front yard through the window in front of the kitchen sink. I hadn't noticed that I was holding so indefinitely onto the plates in the sink, vigorously scrubbing nothing away as they had already been clean. I frowned down at them with a sigh, grabbing onto the broken pieces to trash them.

"You okay, Bells?" A low voice rumbled from the living room.

Drat.

"I'm fine," I replied breathlessly, dropping the shards into the bin, scrutinizing the inanimate objects. "Just dropped a plate."

I heard Charlie huff with confirmation as he continued to stare at the television, flicking through the channels on the screen.

I went upstairs with my laundry from the dryer after cleaning up the rest of the mess of the dusted shards. Not feeling quite compelled to fold them and put the items away, I instead fell onto my bed, staring up at the popcorned ceiling that formed intricate designs along it. I continued to assess them, following the spirals that were formed irregularly into different directions with no sense of pattern, concentrating on the abundant layers, trying to force away the images of a face that I did not want to think about, but had reluctantly done so.

Edward.

As before, we spoke during class, made eye contact in the cafeteria between our lunch tables that we were spaced from each other in, but he had not pushed to see me outside of class. The cellphone on my bed never vibrated with an alert from him either, or no phone calls. Was he trying to give me space? Had he finally given up on the thought that I would finally give myself away to his family and decided that pursuing anything further was not worth the strain?

-o-

It was the first Tuesday of March on the washed-out horizon. The school had been abrupt with loud chattering and banners hung up showing the date for the upcoming school dance next Saturday. Jessica had been her usual self during class with constant chatter, but she also had seemed more unsure and cautious when she spoke. It was more seamless stuff about plans she had made over the weekend that she had already notified me about the day before, along with small chatter of her ideas on worldly matters of high school hierarchy. Though, it didn't take long for her to confess the tension she had felt between the two of us. The reason she had seemed partially distant from me. She wanted my permission to invite Mike to the girl's choice dance coming in two weeks.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Jessica asked, hesitantly as she looked over at me.

"Of course, not. You guys will have a really great time," I assured her.

"I just thought…" Her voice trailed off in thought, waiting for me to continue her thought.

"Thought what?"

"Nothing," she shook her head, and replaced her weary expression with a beaming smile. "Yeah, you're right. We will have a great time." She nodded. "Are you planning on asking someone else then?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"You should still come, it'll be fun."

"Maybe," I replied, dimly.

"Oh! Well, think about it." Her smile softened for a moment, pausing. "I also wanted to ask if your dad was going to let you come to the party this weekend. Mine already told me yes, and I think Angela hinted that she would be going as of yesterday."

I nodded. "Charlie called Ethan's parents over the weekend." That conversation with Charlie hadn't gone over the best, at least not for him.

"His parents won't be there?" He huffed his question with a parental tone. His eyebrow twitching slightly.

"No."

"Will there be any adult supervision?"

"No..."

Charlie grumbled, taking hold of the piece of paper off the counter near the landline, staring intently at the numbers written down on it. He pulled the phone off the jack, pressing far too harshly on the buttons.

"What kind of parents allow their son to throw a high school party at their home?" he grumbled to himself, holding the phone to his ear as the line continued to ring. "Mr. Campbell, hello. This is Chief Swan calling… Yeah, it's good to hear from you…. You could say that again," he huffed out a breath filled laugh. "Unfortunately, I'm calling about your son Ethan... No, he's not gotten himself into any trouble, yet, but are you aware that your son is throwing a party this weekend?"

I don't think I had ever seen Charlie's eyes widened so, but it was clear he had been shocked by the reply on the phone from Mr. Campbell confirming that they were very much aware of the event. I could see the bristles on his mustache almost curling over from the pressed line on his lips.

"And you are not at all concerned that a gaggle of high school kids could bring alcohol?... I see… Well, as a father, I am worried about my daughter going… Ah, I suppose that's responsible, but you know kids, they'll break into any locked liquor cabinet if they can… I see… And you will have him call you each hour? Hmm…" Charlie grumbled, slightly glancing my way. "Alright, thanks. I'll let her know."

Charlie reconnected the phone to the wall abruptly, huffing in disagreement and turned to me.

"I guess you can give Angela and your friends from La Push a call to let them know that you can go."

A triumphant smile appeared across my lips.

And that was how the rest of those first classes had gone with Jessica. As she continued with her usual gushing self in Trig and Spanish as she walked by my side between the classes, other girls also were on their way to ask their crushes to the dance. Jenny Cathcart had shyly staked her claim with her proposal to Ethan leading me to congratulate him with a thumbs up, and Samantha had almost toppled me and Jessica over to run after Lee in the hallway for her own proposal. Jessica was thrilled with ideas of possible color patterns she would go with for her dress, and different designs that would flatter her the best. Naturally, I agreed with everything she had said. Jessica had a very flattering figure; anything would lay nicely on it.

It wasn't long till I had noticed wandering eyes on me throughout the day from many sources that I had not found myself acquainted to. Throughout the class periods and lunch, it seemed I never had a moment to myself. In any direction I would turn, there would be another person smiling brightly at me, and even some would have waved. I hadn't understood what the cause for their reactions today had been, but I didn't like it.

I had even taken the defeated route to ask Edward for insight on the matter, but of course, only a twitch on the edge of his mouth was his response. He neglected to give me a proper answer and I knew it only meant that nothing good was going on. Was my lure affecting these school mates more than I had believed it to before? I had not fed in over a week, it couldn't have possibly caused this many new admirers.

At first it started with just one invitation that day.

"Isabella!" A shout came from a nearby lunch table.

I turned my head in the direction that it had come from, not realizing at first who it had been. It was a boy that I never found myself having been acquainted to, and it was clear he hadn't been acquainted to me either considering he used my unpreferred name. The boy was fairly short, had glossy white skin prickled with random patches of soft freckles, bright green eyes and wildly curly red hair. I waved over at him to be friendly and turned my head back towards the lunch table.

But apparently my wave hadn't been enough for the boy.

"Isabella," he painted near me. The rest of the lunch table turned their confused stares towards the boy and then back at me, probably wondering if I knew him, which I had not.

"It's Bella," I corrected him with a sweet tone for politeness.

"Oh! My bad," he forced out a chuckle. "I'm Louis." He held his hand out towards me, waiting for me to shake it, but I looked at him with a confused expression before I complied and took his hand, lightly.

"Hi, I'm sorry for not remembering, but have we met before?" I asked.

"No," he snorted. "I know. I should've introduced myself to you when you arrived, but…"

"First days are a little weird, I guess."

"Yeah," he nodded with a heavy exhale. "You seemed pretty reserved, and I wanted to give you some time to adjust." He stood there, swaying his arms back and forth after our hands let go. "So, I was wondering."

I heard Jessica almost snort up the rest of her cranberry juice through her nose, holding her palm tightly around her nostrils. She seemed to be amused from a private joke that I hadn't heard.

"Maybe if you hadn't asked anyone yet, that you would like to go to the dance? With… me?"

"You're asking me to the dance?" I looked questionably at him.

"Yeah, well… that's if you want to go."

"Isn't it girl's choice?" A response from someone at our table came that I hadn't thought would. It was Lauren. She looked skeptically at him with her arms crossed and a disgusted look across her lips. "You've read the posters and handouts, haven't you?"

Louis stared wildly at her in what I believed was possible shock syndrome. He didn't move, but his lips parted repeatedly as if he meant to say something, but he couldn't form the words.

"Thanks for asking, but…" I trailed off, looking down at the tray in front of me. "I don't really know you."

His face sunk in the instant moment, and hurt spread through his eyes where, maybe I was mistaken, looked as if he were almost about to shed a tear through them. He took a heavy step backwards, turned and ran off and out of the lunchroom.

"I can't believe Louis Dombrowski just asked you to the dance." Jessica laughed hysterically, leaning against Jessica's arm who also had been in a fit of giggles.

"You know him?" I turned to look back at her.

"Yeah, we've been going to school together since kindergarten, but I've never spoken to him before."

"Strange."

And with that encounter, the rest of Tuesday had gone with a blur, leaving behind focused stares. But when the day had ended, and the next began that following Wednesday, those focused stares had gone for the worst.

This morning when I had pulled my truck into the parking lot of the school, I almost had pressed too hard down onto my brakes, seeing two boys I didn't recognize, standing in front of my usual spot with bright nervous smiles on their faces. They were dressed up well for an early morning at school wearing blazers and black slacks with scuffed shoes. It was obvious the two boys were twins with their matching dark complexions, their same rounded warm eyes, and almost matching haircuts. Together, they stood their ground, blocking me from pulling into the spot.

I relentlessly cranked my window down, peeking my head out of it to ask them to move, but they instead ran up to the driver's side window to greet me. To my luck, it had been another proposal to inviting me to go to the Spring dance with them. At first, I had felt almost an overwhelming shock, seeing these two boys smiling brightly at me, waiting for my answer, but then in the aspect that I hadn't known them, and that they had expected me to say yes to two boys at once, I instead pushed down on the pedal to pull into my spot before it would be taken by a nearby car trying to find a spot.

Jumping out of the truck and holding tightly onto my backpack over my shoulder, I ducked my head down and made a b-line away from my truck and to the front entrance of the school. They followed after me, causing me to have to pick up a pace a little to quick for a normal human. I could feel the heated blush that was forming across my face with embarrassment when more eyes were locked onto me, but I pushed through the heavy crowd of eyes in the hallway and made it to first period.

And following between my first two class periods were three more questions that had popped up from three different boys that I also had not known. One held a bouquet of wildflowers and another holding a teddy bear. I kindly turned them down and made my quick escape to my third period Trigonometry class that I had with Jessica and sat down at the seat in front of her. But to my surprise, Jessica no longer was this bubbling creature who was excited about going to the dance. She had been silent during the class period, and even more silent as she walked down the halls to our next class at my side, which only forced my fear more to ask her why. If Mike had turned her down, I was the last person she would have wanted to tell, but nevertheless, my fears had strengthened during lunch when Jessica sat as far from Mike as possible, chatting animatedly with Eric. Mike, who had been one of the most charismatic of our lunch table, had been unusually quiet.

It didn't take long before a couple more students that I didn't know the names of who I also didn't believe had this lunch period had surrounded our table. There was a giant banner hanging on the wall across the room where the advertisement for the Spring Dance once hung. Written on it with bright sharpie was:

IT MAY BE RAINING, BUT THE PRETTIEST FLOWER IS BLOOMING AT THE SPRING DANCE ~ PRESTON DOWNEY.

I gaped at it, turning my neck back at both boys where one was continuing the cliché thing of bringing a single rose and the other who was holding a guitar, strumming chords to a tune that I hadn't been familiar with. The one with the rose stepped forward, that I assumed was Preston, and asked me if I would go to the dance with him. He bent down on his knee, holding out a rose towards me, twisting it between his fingertips with a shy smile warped on his lips.

Oh my god.

"I'm sorry, but no."

Luckily, the lunch bell rang, and I stood up before I could hear the comments on the scene in front of us from the lunch table. I quickly grabbed my backpack and pushed through the crowd of students who were on their way to their lunch period, but when I had thought I made it out alive as I saw the door to the biology room, several more students had blocked me from my target.

"Bella, will you ask me to the dance?"

"Do you remember me, Bella?"

"Bella, I like your hair today!"

What was going on? What was causing such a reaction? Was the reason that this many random students asking me to the dance was because I've affected them with my Lure by possibly making eye contact with them? I hadn't remembered doing so before. Maybe I hadn't noticed previously the affect it had on the students here just by my presence alone. In thought, I was careful to consider the possibility by acknowledging that I never paid close attention to anyone outside of my usual lunch group of friends. But these people have never spoken to me before this, nor had they all been so keenly enamored to me during my first months of school. Had the Spring Dance heightened their courage and offered them the perfect outlet to express their infatuation? (myfanficaddiction helped me word this.)

"No! I will not go to the dance with you!" I shouted with fustration, but my voice was drowned out by their voices and the flowers being shoved into my face.

"That's enough out of you boys! This is a girl's choice Spring Dance for Christ's sake. Leave Miss Swan alone." Mr. Banner spoke up, interrupting the crowd of boys that had flocked around me. I quickly pushed the set of roses out from underneath my nose and followed towards the door that Mr. Banner was holding open for me and quickly ran inside of the classroom. He definitely deserved an end of the semester present for this one.

But if I had thought I made my quick escape, I had been desperately wrong. I stopped in my tracks in front of the classroom that was filled with idled whispers and small conversation. Some were paying attention to me while others had been working on late homework assignments, but none of that could save me now. I stared over at Mr. Banner for another act of heroism from him, but he had already walked back to his teacher's desk to open his filing cabinet, ignoring the sulking creature that was perked on my desk.

I was eccentrically aware of Edward sitting at the chair beside mine at the lab table, leaning his back against the wall as he stared heavily onto the pitiful creature with too high hopes and dreams. I don't think Edward had ever made so much eye contact towards another student at our school, but in his eyes, I saw a tad bit of humor twinkling in them, and strange empathy laced throughout. With a heavy sigh, I walked over towards my chair, dropping my book bag down beside it, but didn't take my seat. I glanced over at Mr. Banner one more time who still hadn't been paying attention, and then glanced my eyes back over towards Mike.

"Hi, Bella," he offered a sunken smile, and I could see the beads of sweat already forming against his forehead and the collar of his shirt already dampened in sweat. Oh boy, he looked like he was going to pass out. I didn't intend to be responsible for any sort of medical situation today.

"Mike, you look unwell. Should I help you to the nurse's office?" I asked. An audible snort echoed from beside him at the seat next to mine, causing me to glance in the direction of Edward who had his fist pressed underneath his nose, staring ahead in front of him.

Mike looked between the two of us and his forehead perspired even more, causing a dripple of sweat to roll down the side of his face. Mike pulled the beanie he was wearing off his head, wiping away his forehead with it.

"No, I'm fine." He looked away nervously. "Just a little hot in here."

"Feels fine to me," Edward spoke up, undoing the fist that was against his face, and placing it down onto the desk over his other arm. "Are you sure you are feeling well? I wouldn't have poor Bella try to lug you off to the nurse's office, but I wouldn't mind taking you myself."

I stared wide-eyed at Edward's words that almost sounded like a threat. Either he had been my savior to being asked yet again by another student of Forks to the Spring dance, or he was just being rude to him. Mike didn't deserve that kind of treatment if it was the latter. He was a nice kid, but it made me wonder if that was his intention. If it had been, I was worried for Jessica's affections towards him incase he had turned her down.

"No thanks, Cullen," Mike grumbled, but he didn't dare part his eyes from my face. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."

Oh no. Poor Jessica.

"Darn, and to think I would miss out on you heaving up chunks," I murmured too silently for him to hear. But I continued in a more audible voice.

"Mike… don't." I did my best to flavor the disapproval on my tone.

"Don't what?"

"Don't ask me to the dance, please," I reiterated. "If I was planning on going with you, I would have asked you myself. It's a girl's choice dance, Mike, and I think someone had already beat me to it."

"Do you mean Jessica?" He asked, with hope in his eyes. "I told her that I would have to think about it…" his face turned bright red as he looked down again, and pity shook my resolve. "In case you planned on asking me."

Well, that wasn't an absolute no that he gave her, was it?

I heaved out a frustrated sigh through my nostrils. This is becoming more and more ridiculous. Before, I had thought that I made it abundantly clear to Mike that I had no affections for him in the sense, but he seems to not have been able to take my words into consideration. How else should I put him down again after the last time. I told him he was a nice guy, but I was in no need to look for any kind of relationship. Sure, if I knew that going to the dance with him could be kept strictly platonic, then I wouldn't have minded going with a guy as friendly as Mike, but that would have been too good to be true.

"I didn't, Mike," I lowered my voice sympathetically, placing my hand onto the back of his. His eyes widened, staring down at my platonic gesture that was only meant to comfort him, but I realized it had been a mistake. I withdrew it, continuing. "And you should go ahead and tell her yes. That would be the polite thing to do, especially if someone came up with the courage to ask."

"But you've been asked all day, and you said no to each one of them."

And he knew that I had said no before, and still had a gleam of hope that I would accept his. I suppose that was not too far off for Mike Newton.

"Because it's girl's choice. They had no right to bombard me."

He lowered his gaze with doubtful eyes, staring down at this hands that were opened palm up on his lap. He showed a sign of defeat when he gazed down at them. He stayed silent for a few moments, but then glanced away from his own hands and over towards Edward who had suddenly become stiff. Edward's fingers tightened against his forearm as he stared ahead to the front of the class. He looked to not have been paying attention to our conversation, but I knew better.

Mike then glanced back over to me whose eyes were widened with despair and his lips parted slightly with a slackened jaw. He motioned his hand out to me for me to come closer. Did he have something to say privately to me?

I complied with a confused expression as I leaned forward, placing my hands against the side of my desk that he still had been perched on top of. Mike moistened his bottom lip by grazing his tongue over it to better speak more softly.

"Were you already planning on asking someone?" He whispered.

I leaned away slightly to get a better look at his face, and his eyebrow raised up, where I could see his lips had almost tightened into a straight line, waiting for my answer.

"Why would you think that?"

He shrugged, inching his head away from me to glance back over at Edward. I felt I had understood his insinuation and immediately felt the heat that rushed to my cheeks.

"You and Edward seemed to be close lately," he whispered softly.

"Mike?" I interrupted him before he could speak any further, but would that have been such a terrible reason to get out of the situation that was at hand? "Yes," I replied almost immediately. "Yes, I was planning on asking someone."

Mike's face turned back to Edward, and I could see his lip curl up in a small apprehensive snarl that was meant only disaffection for him, but the reaction from Mike to Edward had been unwarranted. Edward had never done anything to Mike to adhere this reaction from him, and even Mike had asked in the past if Edward and I were dating, so why the explicit glare from him now?

"Mr. Newton?" Mr. Banner broke the one-sided stare-off between Mike and Edward. "Can I ask you to take your seat and allow Miss Swan to take her own? Class is starting now."

"Sorry, Mr. Banner," Mike grumbled, slipping off my desk, dejected, to head back to his own seat. Sitting down, I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers intently to my temples, trying to push the guilt and sympathy for him out of my head. If only I never moved here or made conversation with him along with my other attentive friends, that hesitation from him to give a confirmation to Jessica never would have happened. Mr. Banner began talking, motioning my eyes to open to tune in.

"Hmm," Edward spoke up, from his silence ruse. "Who is the lucky guy that Miss Swan plans to ask to the Spring Dance?"

Of course, that rendered a response from him, but I couldn't help the blush forming across my face that I had only been able to hide by placing my palm against my cheek. I knew he had rambled through the thoughts of Mike Newton, hearing the most likely interpretation that Mike feared that I was planning on asking Edward to the dance. Out of all the boys that had asked me today to the dance, I would have guessed that Edward understood that I initially had no plans to go.

"I guess you'll never find out," I replied with a smirk.

Edward's lips parted slightly as his eyes narrowed at me curiously. I hadn't noticed before, but his eyes had grown darker, black even. Had I just offended him?

I didn't care though. A humorous grin tugged at the edges of my lips.

"Do I amuse you, Bella?" A hint of disbelief laced his question, but there was a questioning smile that formed on his mouth exposing his top row of teeth.

"More than you know," I snorted.

"Mr. Cullen?" the teacher called, causing our banter to cease as I embarrassingly flicked my gaze up at him. He was seeking the answer to a question that I hadn't heard.

"The Krebs Cycle," Edward answered, seeming reluctant as he turned to look at Mr. Banner.

I peered up fully at our teacher, assessing his expression to see if Edward had guessed the answer correctly, but I knew that he must have scored through Mr. Banner's thoughts for it. Our teacher's lips pursed as he stared at Edward who held a composed expression on his face with an all knowing: 'Yes, you can commend me that I was right,' kind-of-look.

"Show off," I muttered under my breath, staring down at the textbook on my desk. But my response caused a reaction from him that I didn't expect. He gently nudged his shiny loafers against my new pair of sneakers. I glanced back at him, narrowing my eyes while mouthing, 'these are new.' But he only shrugged.

The rest of the hour grew silent between the two of us, but I couldn't help but to continue staring at his flexing fingers throughout. At moments, his eyes would glance towards me, catching my own gaze that would hold us there for more than a few seconds at a time. What was happening? I questioned repeatedly, wondering what it was about those junctures during the hour where our eyes held onto each other, only instead mine were solely focused on his irises as I resisted to fall into the circular mounds of his pupils. I couldn't allow his golden eyes to hold my own, let alone form a level of influence over me. It was pathetic.

When the bell rang at last, I found myself unable to move from my desk, which he had also mirrored. What? What was happening to me?

"Bella?" Thankfully, we were both interrupted by Mike Newton who was waiting to walk me to our next period. I gathered my books together, and quickly stood to follow him to the door.

I wasn't wrong to believe that Mike would continue his curiosity, wondering if in fact I had planned on asking Edward to the school dance, but I left him with no comment to each question. I made sure to keep silently to myself on the way to the next period, pushing past the crowd who looked questionably at me.

Gym had moved onto basketball, where my team would occasionally pass me the ball. With this newfound life, I had found myself exceeding in activities that I never would have before. My passes were more fluent the more than I did them, but still, I never dared to try to score an opening into a basket. But today in the gym had been worse than usual as my head continued to scramble thoughts of possibly going to the dance with Edwards. Images of his sharpened teeth that glistened easily in the fluorescents of the lights. The crooked smile that broke open when he found something humorous. The way he held my gaze in inopportune times… such as now.

"Bella! Watch out!" Mike shouted. I had not noticed that there had been a basketball that collided against the side of my face, but not even a flinch had broken my trance.

Mike had been on his feet quickly jogging over towards me with a worried expression, skidding to a stop as he neared.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" His hand began to reach towards my face to access the false damage, but I moved away from him in time. "Why were you just standing there? You were playing such a good game."

"Sorry," I blinked. "I got distracted."

Mike picked up the ball that had bounced around my feet against the sleek floor. But when he picked it up, his face contorted into confusion, and then his eyebrows furrowed, turning it around in his hands. Inspecting the back of it with my own eyes, I had come into realization that it was not the same ball we had been passing around on the court. No, this ball was a personal one, one that was meant to be thrown my way. Why were boys so stupid?

"Um," Mike cleared his throat. "I think this is for you." Mike dropped the ball into my hands, crossing his arms over his chest in aggravation. "You should really go ahead and ask that guy to the dance so people would stop thinking they have a chance with you."

I scoffed at him but turned the ball around to face the writing that was written across it in black sharpie.

Spring Dance, Bella? – Kaleb

Kaleb? Who is Kaleb?

I heard a loud slap from across the court near the sidelines. I peeked up seeing an average heighted, but muscular boy whose dark hair was spiked at the tips, high fiving another boy I didn't know the name of. The dark-haired boy offered a smug grin in my direction, wagging his eyebrows at me. That must have been Kaleb.

In a fit of frustration, I took the ball, bouncing it around in my palm as I inclined my eyebrow at him. With no altercation, I had easily thrown the basketball back to him with force, causing it to land against his abdomen. He exhaled a pained groan as he keeled over, taking several steps back until he landed against the bleachers. He continued groaning, cursing out words as he wrapped his arms tightly around his stomach, spitting up saliva onto the floor.

"You could have just told him no," Mike said, looking sympathetically at poor Kaleb.

"Then he wouldn't have gotten the message," I winked at him. Mikes face then flustered into an incredible blush that not even I could have been able to compete with.

It was a relief to change back into my daily wear, leaving the thoughts behind in the gym. I quickly shuffled to my truck; there were just so many people I wanted to avoid, and avoiding any more dance proposals were vital, along with specifically one person that comes to mind. Stop it.

I almost had a stroke when I rounded the corner and saw a tall, dark figure leaning against the side of my truck until I realized it was just Eric. I could handle Eric. I regained my legs and started walking again.

"Hey, Eric," I called, shuffling quickly to the trunk of my truck, grabbing out piles of rose petals that had found their way inside. I continued chucking them onto the grassed median beside me, with an irritated expression across my face. "Who would think this is a great idea? It's wet outside." I mumbled.

"Please, don't throw a ball at me," Eric held his hands up, defensively. I stopped my aggravated assault to the pile of rose petals and stared back up at him.

"Are you going to throw one at my face?" I asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow.

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Then good," I smiled back at him, tossing the rest of the rose petals onto the ground and heading towards the driver's door to unlock it.

"Uh, I was just wondering," he clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth, glancing away hesitantly. "I know you already told others no…"

"Eric… If you're going to ask, please, save us both the time," I groaned.

"Oh," he looked down, shamefaced. "I heard you were planning to ask someone."

"I am," I replied with the lie, holding the door open to my truck and calculating the frown forming at the edges of his lips.

"And that someone isn't me?" He asked, hesitantly as his voice softened.

I breathed out a silent sigh, tapping my thumb against the handle of my truck's door. I didn't want to hurt the poor boy because I knew he was kind, but if he had known that I had made up a plan to ask another, why would he have thought it would be him?

"Eric," I dropped my arm against my side, smiling warmly at him. "We are friends, right?"

He nodded.

"And that's all we are, correct?" After a day like today, mustering up the patience to explain this to him had been very challenging.

He hesitated his next nod that was much slower than the first.

"Well, Eric," I held my smile. "If I were to ask someone, then it would be someone who I see as more than friends."

He raised his eyebrow at me in thought.

"Oh," he forced a breathy chuckle, scratching the back of his scalp as he scored his eyes through the parking lot, until he landed on a particular one. "Like Edward Cullen?"

I didn't realize how stiff my body had gone as I stared wildly at him. I turned my neck towards his focused gaze seeing Edward standing idly near the front entrance of the school at the top of the stairs as if he were waiting for someone at the front door of the first building.

"Why would you say that?" I hissed at Eric, relinquishing my warm smile.

"Mike mentioned it."

"Did he now?" I narrowed my eyes, searching for Mike in the parking lot to give a talking to, but he wasn't in sight. "Can you ask him to not spread rumors, then?"

"Everyone is talking about it," he murmured with blushing cheeks. "But since you hadn't, maybe we can go next time together?"

I gently pressed my eyes together, breathing slowly through my nose, and then opened them up to look at Eric who had appeared unsure but again, hopeful.

I nodded in agreement. "Sure." Biting my lip, I worried if he would take it too literally.

His smile grew bright, and he practically skipped off with a wave back towards the school. I checked in the direction that he was headed in seeing that he had been running over to Tyler Crowley in the parking lot. Tyler Crowley looked towards my direction after Eric caught up to him and a smug grin grew on his face. I furrowed my eyebrows at him, wondering what had warranted that look.

When I left my gaze from the two of them, I looked inside of the truck, seeing a bouquet of white roses wrapped in paper and a ribbon tied around them. Not even glancing at the note that was attached, I quickly grabbed the bundle, throwing them out of the truck and climbed into the driver's seat. I heard a low chuckle that caught my attention. The same low chuckle that I was acutely responsive to. I saw Edward walking past the front of my truck, in long strides while staring straight forward with his lips pressed together. A scowl appeared across my lips as I pushed the keys into the ignition, yanking the opened driver's door and slamming it to a close beside me. Was this funny to him? Having been bombarded all day by multiple students cruising their weigh in with hopes that I would agree to their spring dance proposals?

Do I amuse you, Bella?

No. Certainly not right now.

I revved the engine deafeningly and calculated my quick reverse out into the aisle, making sure to run over the bouquet while eyeing Edward who was in his car already two places down. He slid smoothly out in front of me, cutting me off. He stopped there — to wait for his family; I could see the four of them walking this way, but still by the cafeteria. I flexed my fingers across the steering wheel as I glared at him through his back windshield, but he seemed to pay no attention to me. I should give him a piece of my mind. No. I should ruin that pretty car of his by taking out the rear of his shiny Volvo, but there were too many witnesses. I looked in my rearview mirror. A line was beginning to form and directly behind me was Tyler Crowley in his recently acquired used Sentra. Reminded that Tyler's parents had to sell their van for used parts after the accident. Tyler was waving but I was too aggravated with the disheveled vampire in front of me to acknowledge him.

While I was sitting there, calculating ways to torture a Greek statue made of stone that was in front of me, I heard a knock on my passenger side window. I had been broken from my murderous trance and looked over. It was Tyler. I glanced back in my rearview mirror, confused as I saw that his car was still running with the door left open. I huffed out an aggravated breath and leaned across the cab to crank the window down. It was naturally stiff, but I had done it well with ease until it decided to only stop halfway down. Knowing that I could very well end up breaking the handle, I gave up.

"I'm sorry, Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen." Oh, I was definitely annoyed — obviously this insufferable holdup in the aisle of the parking lot had not been my fault.

"Oh, I know — I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here." I didn't like the grin that was forming across his cheeks. He was up to something.

Oh no. No, no, no. This couldn't possibly be happening. Hadn't Eric already told him the news?

"Will you ask me to the spring dance?" he continued, wagging his eyebrows.

I blankly stared at him, rehearsing in my head the same reply that I had given the other victims in this game of life.

"No, thank you." My voice sounded a little sharp and I had to remember it wasn't his fault that the rest of the boys of Forks High had used up my quota of patience today. I slowed my breathing, forming up more patience for him. "I already have plans to ask someone." I lied.

"Yeah," he laughed, leaning against the truck with his grip on the window. "Mike and Eric said that."

"Then why — "

He shrugged. "I was hoping you were just letting them down easy. Maybe you had been saving up that question for a much better-looking guy."

Okay, it was completely his fault.

"Sorry, Tyler," I said, working to hide my irritation through my gritted teeth. "Thank you for asking, but no thank you."

"That's cool," he winked. "We still have prom."

He winked? And we still have prom?

I parted my lips to respond, but he was already walking back to his car. I could feel the shock that was on my face, but quickly wiped it away as I stared back forward to see Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all sliding into the Volvo with humorous grins on their faces. In his rearview mirror, Edward's eyes were on me. He was unquestionably shaking with laughter, as if he'd heard every word Tyler said.

Blast him!

Of course, he heard every word.

He knew and he allowed it to happen anyways! There was no sympathy in that laugh, nor had he tried to prevent the embarrassment that I had felt from the repeated spring dance proposals. If I hadn't mentioned that I hardly found him amusing before, that has sailed. It was terminated. No amusement was found. My foot inches towards the gas pedal… one little bump wouldn't hurt any of them, just that glossy silver paint job. I revved the engine.

But they were all in, and Edward was speeding away in the rain that pelted down on the asphalt road. Oh, he thought he could get away with that? No. Think again. I pressed heavily down on the gas pedal of my truck, causing the engine to roar as it jumped forward and followed with a chase behind him. Of course, my old truck couldn't very well keep up with the engine in his Volvo, it still didn't stop me from tracking him down on the road. The speed limit was only thirty-five, so I knew he would have to comply with the rules of the road.

No. He very much did not.

He sped forward some more, increasing his speed blindly as the numbers on the speedometer raised another ten miles-per-hour. My fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel of my truck as I shot cold glares towards his rearview mirror. His eyes flickered up towards me, but I could only see half of his face. He sped up another ten miles-per-hour, hitting fifty-five. What did Jake tell me about the truck again? Never mind, this was war.

Flooring down on the gas pedal, the speed increased another ten after that, but then I briefly remembered his words as the engine sputtered, causing a cloud of an unappetizing smell of smoke to combust through the hood of the truck. The metal vehicle began to slow down, backfiring rapidly as the engine continued to try to come back to life, but to no avail, it had decided to shut off on me as I pulled it into the grass near the row of trees. Never go past fifty.

"No, no, no!" I shouted worryingly with a groan. "Not my truck!"

The Volvo that was ahead slowed down, pulling off to the side of the road several dozen feet in front of mine. I glanced up at it with a scowl as I jumped out of my immobile truck, slamming the door behind me. I peeked merely at the smoke that was rising from the hood and sauntered over towards it. I clicked the lever on the front of the grill, forcing the hood open as a larger cloud puffed, escaping its entrapment.

"I told you that you should get something more reliable," a velvet voice grazed my ears from behind me. I whirled around, facing the treacherous vampire that stood before me who held a raised eyebrow in concern as he stared down at the smoke. The rain that was pudding down on the both of us caused the disheveled locks to spike together, and drip down across his cheeks.

"No, you told me to invest in something faster!" I corrected him with a snap in my voice.

"The same, really."

Hatred laced through me. "Why — you!"

Emmett hooted and hollered from the back seat of the Volvo, followed by a harmonic giggle in front the front seat that was Alice. How could Edward look so thoroughly amused? Look what he had done to my truck!

"You better get back in your fancy car and get out of my way before I make a big deal about this."

"Hell yeah, Bella! Tear his head off!" Emmett shouted, rolling the backseat window down. Edward turned to him glaring while I speared an icy glance towards the big goliath that was too big to fit back there. He heard everything as well. I'm sure he had been laughing with Edward back in the traffic jam.

"But that would leave you without a ride home," Edward's unmoving features bore down at me.

If we were in different circumstances and my truck still had been in one piece, with the engine not emitting an unhealthy amount of smoke to be inhaling, I would have been much more irritated with him at this moment. But no, instead, I mostly just wanted the earlier portions of the day to not have happened. I could have spared myself by not attending classes or school entirely. I should have known better. And if Edward hadn't been such an abominable creature, I wouldn't have tried to out-speed a Volvo with my 1950's truck.

"What am I going to do?" I spoke in a small voice to myself, staring blankly at the scene in front of me.

"I'll call a tow truck," he spoke with also a defined softness in his tone. But this wasn't his problem, this had been mine. I needed to handle my own affairs. And right now, my poor truck needed a nice spa day.

"That's not going to fix the problem that's already here," I groaned. Shaking my head, I continued. "No, it's fine," I sighed with irritation, shoving my hand into my pocket. "It's my truck, I'll call the tow company."

Walking away from the scene of the crime, I successfully pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I clicked a button on the front to brighten the screen. Realizing to my discontent, the phone light did not appear, reminding me that I had not charged it last night, and the phone wasn't turning on. Relentlessly, I shoved it back into my back pocket.

"Great, never mind," I mumbled pulling my arms across my chest, glaring across the road at the smoke that was piling up from the engine that seemed to not care that the rain was raining down on it. The smoke continued to rise.

"Rosalie," I heard him grunt towards the Volvo.

With a heavy release of a sigh, she replied. "On it."

I wanted to pace away, walk home from here. The day had been long, and I was already feeling tired of it all, but I didn't get too far before I felt cool fingers brush across the veins stringing up my forearm. The feeling caused me to stop on the edge of my heels as the electricity made itself clear as he had wrapped his fingers further around my wrist. I gasped lightly, turning around hesitantly to face him.

"Bella, we will get your truck towed and off to a mechanical shop. I'm sure there can be some way to salvage what's already there," he spoke softly, looking intently at me.

My breath stifled, and I didn't dare to spare a glance towards his intricate fingers that were softly still wrapped around my wrist. I kept my glance towards only him as I assessed the straightened bridge of his nose. His eyes darted back and forth between my own as I breathed out a stuttered breath through my parted lips, continuing my trance on his features.

Was he affected by my touch the same as he had been able to affect me? Did he not feel the tension that held between his fingers and my wrist? If he did, it didn't show. I did not know how long it had been that we were rooted to our spots, but I knew I needed to give him an answer.

"Fine," I mumbled, glancing down to the ground, but immediately I felt the release of his softened grip around my wrist, letting my hand fall back against my side. Somehow it had felt even cooler now without his touch, as if it was supposed to be there. "But this is your fault."

He softly chuckled, glancing down at the wet grass that beaded against his shiny loafers.

"Of course, I apologize for the critical damage done."

"Glad to hear it."

Rosalie had been out of the car along with Emmett as they wafted away the smoke that was still fuming from the engine. I followed Edward over to the area of damage, seeing that they were inspecting it.

"Engine is completely fried," Rosalie said, shutting the hood as she wiped the grime from her hands. "Even if we were to take it to the mechanic shop, I'm sure it would cost more to fix than it is worth."

"Oh," I replied softly, glancing at my rust bucket. Charlie had given that to me as a welcome home present, and I neglected to take proper course of action to take care of it the way I was impeded to do. I wasn't ready to part with it, but I knew that there wasn't a way that I could pay to fix it. "Do you know much about cars?"

"Even vampires need a hobby," she smirked. "Besides, none of these guys would take an interest and somebody had to make sure their toys were taken care of." Her eyes flicked over at Edward and back to me.

"Thanks, Rosalie," he nodded. Edwards's hand grazed my upper shoulder blade as he directed me to the passenger side of the Volvo. I noticed Emmett and Rosalie still were positioned against the truck and not joining us.

"Shouldn't I wait with you? Aren't they going to question whose it is?"

"No worries, we got it handled."

-o-

Staring out the window of his fast-moving Volvo, the tension in the car grew as silence filled the void. I skimmed my fingers over the ripples of my jeans looking over at him with a scowl still painted clearly on my face. Alice had been enthusiastic the beginning of the drive talking about what kind of car I should get next, but I had to remind her that I would not be able to afford one right now. Most of my worries stemmed from Charlie and what he would say about it when he found out. Though, we both knew it wouldn't last forever. Now the only issue now was getting to school.

"What the hell was that?" I sneered at him.

His glanced moved towards the rippled 'v' formed between my furrowed brows.

"What was what, Bella?" he asked innocently.

Blast him! "In the parking lot! You knew Tyler was going to ask me to the spring dance and you still held up traffic and allowed Tyler to confront me! Were you trying to irritate me to death?"

"Preferably not, no. It was Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him a chance," he snickered.

"So, you were listening," I scolded through gritted teeth.

He shrugged.

"Tyler still feels bad about almost running you over with the van," he looked over at me with a side eye. "He believes in order to make amends, the best way to do that is to take you to the dance."

"Then he needs to get over it."

Strangely, I felt an overwhelming calm sweep over me as I slammed my back against the seat forcefully, causing it to slightly groan. I glanced up at the rearview mirror, seeing Alice's face tucked into the crevice of Jasper's neck. His hand was woven tightly into her, and his eyes were hardened onto back of the head rest of the passenger seat. Why had he been staring at me? I wanted to ask, but I felt too curiously relaxed as I leaned my head back against the rest.

I thought more about my truck, seeing the shape it had been, I knew that it was done for. While I could go on foot just to avoid the embarrassment of showing up in the police cruiser, it still would cause questions of how I got to school. Surely, I wouldn't have voluntarily walked those miles in the rain each day. I sighed, glancing out the window as the trees came to a stop when Edward veered to the side of the road in front of my house

"Would you be tempted to take an offer from me of driving you to work today?"

He knew I had work today. Of course, he must have remembered my confirmation of my schedule last week when I spoke of it. Would it be so wrong to allow him to offer his car in driving me to work? Supposedly not, I did need one and I didn't have time to ask for another ride.

I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth, nodding with an answer. He smiled, and in a blinding motion as before, Edward had been out of the car, holding open the passenger door for me.

"I have neighbors, you know."

"And I have a very good radar." His grin didn't reach his eyes.

I climbed out of the car, waving goodbye to both Alice and Jasper before letting Edward walk me to my front door. We stopped in front of the door for a few moments before I decided to reach for the hidden key underneath the eave.

"I'm still mad at you," I muttered.

"I know."

"And I'm mad about my truck, too." I pushed.

"I know."

"Good," I exhaled a nod, surprised by his understanding. I continued rubbing the key in between my fingers, staring back at the front door. "I'll see you in thirty minutes."

Inside I quickly prepared several chicken quesadillas with what we had left in the fridge for Charlie whenever he gets home from work. I knew that the cheese would probably harden by the time he gets here, but he could heat it up in the microwave for whenever he decides to. Staring into the fridge, I wrote down whatever we needed to replenish on the grocery list, deciding that I will pick up new items tomorrow. I then went up to my room to make a quick reply to the emails my mother had sent me yesterday, and quickly got dressed into my scrubs afterwards. I sighed, staring into the mirror, pulling at the strands of my hair that were naturally becoming dull since it had been over a week since my last feeding.

I could make it last; I could build up more endurance if I need to.

I trailed my fingers down over my throat, feeling the slow burn that was searing through, but when was the last time I had felt this burn? Over the weekend when I had gone shopping for my new pair of shoes and jeans? Or when I had walked into the crowded lunchroom filled with laughter from the gaggle of students? But it wasn't apparent only an hour ago. It wasn't apparent either during biology class. I stared into my reflection in the mirror, now trailing for fingers over the slight darkness underneath my eyes. It wasn't terribly noticeable to the naked eye, but with my own vision, I could easily see it. But that could not distract me. I realized that this feeling had been close to absent over the last hour. I hadn't noticed it until I had been inside the front door.

Confusion filled my thoughts, thinking of the people I had been around, no, the vampires I had been acquainted with. That was not possible. I had no feelings for Edward, nor an attachment to him, right? No, definitely not. He only felt pity for me, him and his family. But it was with his eyes that stared deeply into my own during the classroom. The way his lips lifted when we spoke. The way his straight nose would never crinkle because it was far too perfect for imperfections. The way his fingers would tousle through his disheveled hair. I dropped my brush onto the counter, turning around to head back into my room to stare out the front window to the road.

He was here. He was three minutes early. I stared down at the silver Volvo.

Blast him for being early. I hoped he would have come at least a few seconds late so that I could offer another reason to hammer an argument out of him, but I chose to release the scowl from my face as I grabbed my purse and headed down the steps and out of the front door where Edward had been waiting at with his hands tucked in his coat pocket.

"You could have waited in the car."

He nodded, turning on his heels as he opened the passenger door for me to hop inside. With a closing thud behind me, he made his way to the driver's side and climbed in. I fumbled in my pocket, pulling at the lint inside of my new pair of jeans to distract me from staring into his eyes. There was this impeding need to do so, to get lost in them as they stared only back at me, but I held back. Edward pulled away from my driveway and began his descent down the wet road that still was being attacked by Forks rain.

"I'm sorry about your truck." His voice broke through the silence, but he didn't stare into my direction the way that I had found myself doing so. I silently gasped as I realized I had been doing so for quite some time.

"Um," I mumbled. "It's okay."

But it wasn't okay. I still needed to find a ride to school without showing up in the back of a police cruiser.

"And I'm sorry for being rude earlier."

I grunted at him.

The conversation moved on from there. "Is there a reason you chose to work at a nursing home?" Now he had broken his gaze on the road as his eyes flickered over to me. I found my breathing becoming hitched. Yes. There was a reason. A reason I chose to long forget after the mention of the treaty.

"I needed a means of income," I spoke. "I have expenses to pay for."

"Expenses such as your contacts?"

"Yes."

"Do they irritate your eyes or vision, at all?"

I shook my head. "I don't mind them. Besides, I don't exactly have a choice on the matter."

"Hmm," he nodded, glancing back at the road. "Unprescribed contacts are hardly expensive. What else do you plan on doing with your savings?"

"I hope to save up for college, but if I can't take that route, then I would like to build up my savings for when I decide to leave everything else behind. Have money so I can still purchase food along with a place to stay every night."

I glanced over at Edward, seeing a sunken expression from him, but he didn't look in my direction.

"Not to mention, I still need to find an affordable car, so I suppose that's where my savings will go."

"I don't mind driving you, Bella."

"But it is an inconvenience."

"You're not an inconvenience," he said through gritted teeth and clipped eyebrows. His fingers tightened against the steering wheel. That reaction had been unexpected. I waited for his mood to shift again to bring up another conversation, but his jaw stayed locked.

And then silence fell between us again for the rest of the drive to the Forks Assisted Living Facility. As he pulled up to the front of the entrance, I was in no hurry to hop out. We were early, much early. Edward drove with speed on the road, not bothered by the slick asphalt that slipped underneath his tires. It was as if his Volvo's high speed was second nature to him — he was used to driving this way. I would have mentioned that his habit of driving was illegal, but most of my habits were too.

"Thanks… for this."

"No need," the edge of his lips upturned. "Considering I am the reason you lacked a ride to work, I had to make amends."

"Right."

I glanced through the glass doors of the building, seeing Paige and Ellen leaning back in their chairs as they were chatting with one another over their work schedule for Paige's upcoming Spring break from her college semester.

"Do you like your co-workers?" He asked. I jumped slightly at his velvet voice that sounded curious.

"Yeah, they're great," I replied, unbuckling my unneeded seatbelt, and slipping my arm through the strap of my purse once again and opened the passenger door. "Will you be picking me up, too?"

"That is if you would prefer me to."

I nodded. "Paige will ask how I'll get home if I walk out of the building with lack of transportation."

"Then I'll make sure to be here at eight-thirty."

I hesitated before I thanked him and closed the passenger door behind me as I got out of the Volvo. I walked away from it without looking behind me and headed through the glass doors of the building where Page and Ellen smiled brightly at me. I huffed a breathy chuckle through my nose, dropping my purse next to my chair at the front desk and sat down. I plugged my cellphone into a charger, leaving it behind while we mostly chatted until visiting hours began. Answering phone calls on the line, putting people on hold if we were already on another call, and checking in family members and friends who waited as the nurses would help the elderly into the front living room.

The crowd of the visitors slowly died down when Ellen had taken her leave to go home to make dinner for her kids, and Paige and I discussed her upcoming Spring Break that aligned the same week as mine. It had not come to my mind originally, but I realized that Spring Break commences the Saturday of the Spring Dance. We would have a week off school. A week for me to get my affairs handled. Paige mentioned what she had told Ellen before that her family had ideas of spending their break in California for a beach trip, while my plans mostly included me telling her that I would probably be working instead. I had no plans for the break.

She had been excited for her girlfriend to spend time with her family because they only met her a handful of times since they moved in together. She asked me if I could watch her cat while she was out of town, but I declined, telling her that I would be worried for the safety of her cat under the hands of an inexperienced pet sitter and continued with the story of the many goldfish that died. She thought the story was hilarious and then decided to ask someone else to watch Simon Pawfunkel.

I watched over at the families who crowded in the room with the elderly as they sat down next to them telling stories about their week and showing pictures of their kids. There was laughter and some tears that would stream down their cheeks, causing a frown to form on my face. Others took an interest in the books that I had stocked on the shelves, delighted with the new content that wasn't much, but still was different from what already was there.

"Hey, I'm going to go head to the restroom really quick. Can you handle the visitor check-ins while I'm gone?"

"Yeah, no problem."

She put her computer screen on idle and stood up, walking away from the counter and down the hall to the faculty bathrooms. I leaned back in my seat, surveying the room again as I tapped my finger absentmindedly against the computer mass, causing the screen to light up. I glanced over at it, checking the names of all the visitors that checked in, just running through something to read while I waited for visitor hours to end. Mr. Taylor had decided to walk into the room to hand me the schedule for the upcoming week before he returned into his office.

I heard the sliding of the glass front doors, notifying me that a new visitor was entering the building, waiting for me to check them in.

"Hello, welcome to Forks Assisted Living Facility," I spoke, finding myself still distracted. "Can I get your name and the name of the resident you are here to visit?" I asked, looking up at the tall woman.

Immediately, I found myself unable to speak as she stared down at me with narrowed eyes, with her lids faintly covering the tanzanite hue. Her face was rounded with the skin of warm honey. Her hair had fallen into short ringlet curls that were a close mixture of reds and blondes — strawberry blonde if I were to be exact. Freckles trailed irregularly over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, while her lips were thin, but not unflattering to her features. But it was her eyes that I had noticed the most. They were upturned in shape, and the intricate tanzanite glowed faintly over her darkened pupils.

"Abigail," I exhaled softly through my lips, wide eyeing her as ripples of exposed mounds bristled over my skin, sending shivers down my spine. She stared intently at me, her neck craning to the side as she took her own survey. I couldn't speak more; I was too entranced by her flawless beauty that looked to have been able to resemble Mrs. Weaver as a younger woman.

"You know who I am." Her voice was laced with hostility, but it was not a question when she spoke.

"Yes! I mean, no, not exactly," I continued staring. I found myself taking much too long to proceed. "Let me — let me check you in." I quickly clicked through the resident names on the screen, scrolling down alphabetically until I had come across the W's for Mrs. Weaver. I hovered over Abigail's name on the screen, clicking on it and then switching to the icon labeled, 'check-in.'

"I'll have a nurse come bring her to the front room," I whispered, pushing myself to look away from her.

"No need," she spoke. "I'll see myself to her room." And she walked away from the front desk, disappearing into the hallway.

My breathing had become labored when she disappeared from my vision. Had she recognized what I was? Surely, she had to have the way she looked at me, studying me intently. She must have noticed the aubergine color that my eyes gave way to through the darkened contacts, realizing that I had been wearing them, hiding in front of the amethyst hue. Hers though were hidden by deep blue contacts, giving the appearance of a blue-violet tanzanite hue. Even with the contacts covering her natural eyes, the color had been enchanting. Leaving me no way to stray from staring. Her skin showed that she must have fed recently. It was much more tanned than mine had been yet, but from the facts that I knew she was native to Georgia, she must have been naturally able to tan anyways. No, that is not the case, we don't tan from the sun as humans. No. She has fed recently, a lot.

Paige walked back from the bathroom in a short while, sitting back at her desk and un-idling her desktop screen. She chatted with me again, checking in only one more patient until the last of them had shown up for check-in. I was distracted, though Paige didn't seem to notice my reluctant silence when she would pause during her chat. I got in a few of the keywords such as brother and teacher, along with computer-coding class. Putting the words together, I would guess the sentence went along the lines that her brother and her are in coding-class together, with something else that included her teacher. It did not matter; I wasn't too intent on understanding where the conversation was going. I was more interested in what was going on down the hallway into the room far down on the right. Into Mrs. Weaver's room. They must have been speaking in a whisper because their words were faint through the concrete walls, incomprehensible through the chatter in the front room. It had frustrated me only more.

Visitors began leaving behind the residents for the nurses to help them back to their rooms. I inattentively handled the checkouts that came to my desk, staring blankly at the screen as I searched their names on the visitor list, and logging the time that they left. Paige happily chatted with the visitors as she normally would, making small conversation with them as they would leave the front desk, but I was more silent. Any humans in the facility were of no interest to me now. Not even the burning ache in my throat when one would breathe out a heavy laugh had altered my thoughts.

I wondered if Abigail would be ready to check-out soon until I heard the soft patter of her shoes coming down the hallway. Not an irregular step was taken or altering the beat of the shoes touching the slick floor. She made her way to the front desk, not glancing in my direction until she was in front of me.

"I would like to check-out now," she growled in irritation. What had gotten her worked up? Did her conversation with Mrs. Weaver not go over well? Should I ask her how her visit was? No, should I ask to speak with her?

But she had already beat me to the punch when Paige had been distracted by a magazine.

"Meet me at the benches behind the building when you get off work." She spoke with disdain. "I'll be waiting, but not for too long."

She took her leave through the sliding glass doors, heading out towards the parking lot until she took a right turn towards the side of the building. I huffed exasperatingly, checking the time on the computer screen. It was eight o'clock already, and Edward would be here in only half an hour. Oh drat, Edward would be here soon. I turned around in my chair, leaning over to grab my phone off the charger on the wall, and fumbled with it until I could force my fingers to quit shaking to correctly tap on the keys to enter text messages.

To Edward,

Subject: Pick-up

Edward, give me an extra thirty-minutes to an hour.

His reply was almost immediate.

To Bella,

Subject: Re Pick-up

Would that be thirty minutes or an hour?

I quickly replied, telling him to make an educated guess, leaving me without a response after I clicked the send button. I pushed the phone into the front pocket of my scrubs and coiled the charger into my purse. After the hour had finally subsided, finishing our nightly duties of cleaning the front reception area and visitor's lounge along with taking out the trash and shutting down our computer, it became eight-thirty. Paige walked out of the building with me, holding my arm linked into hers as she spoke more about her plans for Spring Break, going into more detail of the places she plans to dine-out and visit.

Before Dhara pulled into the parking lot, Paige asked me if I wanted a ride home because I mentioned that my truck broke down and I was no longer able to drive. When I mentioned someone was picking me up, she instantly was on her toes to ask impeding questions whether this boy happened to be someone of my interests, which I had no response to. I was not sure.

I waved goodbye to her and Dhara smiled at me as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. After waiting until they were no longer in sight and further down the road, I darted towards the side of the building, making my way behind it towards the benches that were placed outback. I could see the glowing of the amethyst eyes from far away on Abigail, noticing that she must have taken out her contacts. She wasn't looking at me, no she was staring out into the woods, facing away from the back of the building as she sat at the bench.

I took hesitant steps towards her, pulling my own contacts out from my eyes and placing them back into the case in my purse. When I closed in on the space between us, taking a seat from across her, she still looked away from me, as if she were waiting for me to be the first to break the silence.

"Hi," I spoke.

"Hello, Bella, is it?" she asked in a southern twang, glancing over at me. I nodded. "You're five minutes late."

"I had to wait for my co-worker to leave. I didn't want her to see me suspiciously rounding the building."

She nodded. "My mother tells me that it would be necessary to speak with you. Is it?"

"I think so," I replied softly.

"Well, out with it. What do you need?"

"Answers, mostly," I mumbled.

"You can speak up, there's no one near that will hear us."

I pulled air in between my teeth, feeling an overwhelming tension and uncomfortableness between us. It felt strange being so near her. Felt strange being in the same presence as her. I did not understand why, but it felt that I was being almost… sucked in.

"You're alone too?" I asked, looking up at her. "Your creator left you?"

"They all do, hun. They have to," she crossed her legs, closing her hands onto her lap.

That left me feeling confused.

"What do you mean that they have to? Why would anyone leave someone to go through this alone?"

"They leave you with the most important information, and with that, you have your own special friend to take care of you along the way, but if you have to ask, I expect that your creator was dimwitted and didn't inform you of those two things." She rolled her eyes, exhaling a condescending sigh.

"Excuse me?" A sudden rush of hostility hissed through my lips. "She was not dimwitted."

"Sure, she was, or she just didn't care about you," she shrugged.

"Sh-she saved me!" I stuttered. Did Vilinsea save me? Would I have chosen this life of being a monster? "Maybe yours didn't either because it's clear that none of them cared enough to stay!"

A scowl appeared across her features as her eyes narrowed in my direction. Her lip curled over her teeth and her jaw was tightly clenched.

"Don't speak of him that way. My creator gave me all the tools that were necessary for me to know without leaving anything out, while yours left you in the dark without the simplest of knowledge that she could offer. My creator left because he had to."

Because he had to… But her defensiveness told me another story. A story that she had cared about the reputation of her creator and the feelings he harbored for her. Did she care for him in more ways?

"What does that mean he had to? Why would he leave you?" I pushed curiously.

"They all have to if they want to keep their creations alive."

She breathed in a heavy breath, preparing her explanation to me that would keep her memory of her creator in check and clean.

"Do you not remember how you were changed? What happens when they create what we are? They transfer their energy into a human, forcing the change to happen. A human's energy is weak, un fighting, while our energy laces through it easily and overtakes it. It's a battle between the two energies, and a succubus energy against a humans will win. But that's not only what happens." She inhaled softly, glancing down at my hands, eyeing me until she reached back to my face. "They can draw energy, as well, just as you clearly remember, considering you seem sustained."

"Yes, that I understand."

"Then you would understand the difference between energies when it comes to a new succubus compared to an older one. Let me ask you, which one do you think is more powerful?"

The question was noticeably rhetorical.

"Energy between us succubi don't need to be taken through a kiss or sexual activity. It can be taken by mere presence. Right now, as a matter of fact, I'm draining your energy very slowly. Not enough to kill you for possibly another week, but yours is much weaker than mine, and I could take it involuntarily without you realizing it besides the noticeable discomfort you are feeling. If your creator stayed any longer in your life, then their purpose of changing you would have become null because you would be dead within the month anyways."

Oh.

"Catching on?"

"Yes," I murmured with disbelief under my breath. "You said a week though you would have me dead, but that I would be dead within a month with my creator."

"Your creator changed you with a purpose, so her body's energy would not involuntarily take it so soon, but instead over a course of time. That's why they leave, to protect you. That is something your creator failed to mention, I see."

That was something to contemplate in my mind. I remembered Vilinsea's prideful smile when she would look at me. The way she would perk up when she was by my side or telling me about her own stories over the decades she existed. Vilinsea had always spoken appreciatively with what she was and of her endeavors over the years. She said that she was very intrigued by herself having been able to change me other than take my energy for herself. She only had done it once before when she saw the need to, like she saw with me. I didn't think to ask at the time what happened with her other creation because there had been other things to ask and discuss, but when the moment arrived, Vilinsea was already gone.

"I suppose she did fail to mention that." I wrapped my arms around myself, thinking more of her. Thinking of how I felt when I had been abandoned. "Do you feel yourself draining me right now?"

She nodded. "I felt it the minute I walked into the building and that's why I can't stay for long. I'll have to work around your schedule the next time I visit my mother." Her eyebrows raised quickly and fell in thought. "Why are you working in a nursing home? Was this your tactful plan in feeding? Taking out the elderly since they are on their last leg anyways?"

I paused, staring at her raised eyebrow and skeptical features. She was curious to know, but also it seemed to worry her. She must have thought that eventually I would think about taking her mother and the rest of the residents here.

"At first that had been the plan," I began. "But the plan quickly took a turn, and it was changed."

"Took a turn? What stopped you?"

"Just… things," I glanced only slightly up at her this time, faltering my eyes into a different direction to come up with a lie. "My dad knows the residents here… and I'd rather they succumbed to natural causes instead of by my own hand."

Her eyes narrowed further. "You're lying."

"What?"

"You're lying, I can tell."

"How can you tell?"

"That is my power, but for some strange reason, I can't fully state that you are, but I can tell by other ways. The way you seem to alter the change in pitch of your voice, the softness. Right now, you are twitching your fingers."

I hadn't noticed I was, but when I looked down at my thumb, I realized it had been attacking the tips of my nails on my other hand. I slid them from the bench and onto my lap out of her sight.

"That's your gift? You can tell if someone is lying?"

"Not just that, I can read if someone has pure intentions or bad ones. It seems my mother had left some things out, but I understand she told you that I feed off those who are guilty. My gift helps me with that, to stay away from the good and only encounter the wrong doers." Her head angled slightly as she continued to stare at me. "But… with you… it's different. Can't read anything, at all. So, you see, my question on your intentions here was needed. I could tell that you were being truthful when you mentioned that your plan changed when your hands and the pitch of your voice was steady, but when you spoke your lie, I could see the difference. But why is that?" She pondered with narrow eyes, assessing me. "Why can I not read you? What is your power, Bella?"

"I can manipulate thoughts," I explained. "Force them to do what I want by command."

Her eyebrow raised higher, and the edges of her lips curved into a smile until she had been forced into a throaty laugh. Was she laughing at me? I thought it was a neat one that could be useful.

"That's your power?"

"Yes?"

"That's not your power, kid," she laughed, placing her hand against her abdomen trying to control the fit. "Sweetie, we all can do that."

"What?" I hissed in disbelief.

"How else would we get away with our actions? Some of us don't feed to kill, so if we were to drain someone halfway and walk out of the room, the victim would just go and tell others what they saw, or what we did to them." She rolled her eyes, laughing more. "I mean, seriously. You think that if they were to see images of their greatest sexual fantasies pushed into their own thoughts as if it were real that they wouldn't go off and explain to others what had happened?"

"What!?"

"That seems to be your favorite word," her laughter subsided into soft chuckles, placing her elbows onto the bench table with her face cupped in her hands. "As a succubus we can project an illusion into the minds of our victims, but the victim controls that narrative through their own sexual desires. This in effect draws the succubus to act out the illusion, which continues the motive for increased sexual desire, therefore, better the flavor."

That had been a better explanation for what happened during that night in Port Angeles. The way that I had been presented in that illusion, the outfit, the room of choice, the chains, none of that was me. I didn't believe I conjured up that illusion or had any inclination or yearning to be present in that kind of situation in the past, but it felt like I had. Now I understood that it wasn't me controlling the illusion, it was that indecent sadist.

With the conclusion in that question, it confused me more. A question that I had that was left without an answer.

"No, I mean," what did I mean? "That's what my creator told me, she said this was my gift."

Abigail searched my eyes, struggling to understand what I had told her. "My creator had told me the same, but he also had helped me find my own power. The power we are all given where we could drop our scent from ourselves was amplified in him. While dropping his scent, he could also keep others from seeing him in plain sight. That was how we discovered my own power. I was still able to detect him, detect his aura whether he was of good intention or of bad. He wasn't able to hide from me," she snickered, an admirable smile expressing on her lips as she thought back into her memories. "I'm sure she might have not realized what your power was and told you instead one of the regular powers for Succubi."

Did she?

"So, with his gift, I wouldn't be able to see him, nor would someone else unless that person was able to detect him in different ways other than using sight or scent?"

"It proved to be pretty useful for himself. But, while he had been able to run and hide, I still had to get out of sight on my own accord."

I had wondered if this incubus, her creator, had been able to travel the world and see more things than most do. I wondered if he had even found himself in encounter with what the Cullen's were, vampires. He would have been able to be undetected and would be find himself in no harm. They never would have known he was there or would have attacked him. There could be a lot to learn from that man, but if he had seen other mythological creatures out there, I wondered if he would have told Abigail.

"He never mentioned anything out there other than succubus and incubus, had he? Are we the only ones that are not human?"

Her eyebrow raised suspiciously in my direction, and I hoped she wouldn't ask if I knew something I wasn't offering. I knew she would be able to detect my hesitation and my lie if I were to tell her no.

"I don't think so, at least not that I know of. We traveled across the country together from Los Angeles, California to Savannah, Georgia. Mostly we stayed in areas of high population, but if there had been anything else, we didn't notice." She shrugged. "I'm not too worried, though. I find that we are pretty skilled at hiding ourselves especially since we travel alone, can hide our scent and use our mind-manipulation as you call it. If there had been anything of other kinds, they would probably have made themselves known to us on our travels out of curiosity"

I nodded. I wasn't sure if I was relieved by her answer or nerved that I couldn't ask her more about vampires and the threat they could pose on us. I knew that the Cullens would not harm me, or I hoped, but that energy that they had. It seemed to flow continuously, never ending. That was interesting.

"Don't tell me those ghost stories you were told growing up have you scared."

"No, not at all. Not those," I responded.

Abigail's head tilted to the side again, flexing her fingers against the table as she continued to narrow her eyes around my figure.

"It's just so strange not being able to use my power with you. Of course it is obvious you have one, I just am not sure what it could be. I would say that it could be an amplified gift of hiding your scent like my creator's, but you're not hidden from me physically. Strange."

"In what way does that make it strange?"

"I told you earlier, I can't read whether you have good or bad intentions or read through my power that you are lying or not. Whatever your power is, it does a very good job at blocking my own."

I stared at her for a few seconds, processing her words. She can't read me. She can't read whether I was good or bad, nor whether I was lying. Her gift didn't work on me, nor did Edward's or Alice's gift. I took a moment of pause, wondering if Vilinsea's had worked, whether she had been able to taste my emotions. She never had mentioned that it did not, or had she mentioned it did. She never said anything. She only spoke that I had a gift of mind-manipulation but never the latter. Abigail had been more forthcoming with knowledge and answers within such a short time than Vilinsea had been with me as my own creator. She had a bright smile, but looking back now, she had been distant and withdrawn when she spoke to me and never stayed long. I was abandoned by Vilinsea. Even if she had to leave to keep me from death, she still left me with little knowledge. That was abandonment from her.

There was a scent that became very noticeable of iron. I looked down at my hands, seeing that my nails had penetrated the surface of my palms, drawing blood to flow down from them, but as instantly as the bloodshed, it also trickled its way back into the wound, closing the cut behind it and leaving only a faint pink scar, which then turned white, and back into my skin tone. The mark was as if it was never there. I sighed, wiping my palms against my jeans, placing my hands back onto the bench. I needed to get my emotions under control, but Abigail never seemed to falter or be uncomfortable with me.

I knew I had more questions to ask of her before she planned to part from here and to never see me again as she would only visit during hours that I was not present. She said that fact, so needing to get everything answered was crucial. I also was on a time constricting mission, and I didn't think I would be keen on Edward finding our spot, or meeting Abigail. Granted, I'm not sure Abigail even knew of the existence of vampires.

"So, you cannot read me," I confirmed. Abigail nodded. "At all?"

"No, but my mom told me to have faith in you." She chuckled, crossing her arms against her chest. "Called you one of the good guys," she rolled her eyes. "Appears she is very fond of you."

My smile was faint but assuring that I felt the same way about Mrs. Weaver.

"I'm sorry for your creator's lack of insight, but I can do my best to inform you with whatever time we have left. What else would you like to know?"

"You said there were two things that were important… What was the other one?"

Abigail then gave an explanation on the subconscious monster that flows through my thoughts at times that I find myself in danger or in need of help. She elucidated that it acts in a basic symbiotic relationship with its host and helps us along the way during our solitude of a life without our own kind. It is our guide that will steer us to make the right decisions, or it will help assess situations that we lack to see for ourselves. The monster is born the moment a succubus or incubus awakes, and it lacks information of a succubus itself but is attentive in a degree. As the succubus travels, it learns more about its host and helps prevent failure when needed, but as the succubus is young, so is the subconscious monster.

It can be enticing and irrational, but it would never push the host to do something that would put the host in harm's way. It makes sure to assess and push the host to do something if it knows it can step out of the situation and get away with the act easily. But with its adolescence stages, it does push situations that would put the host in risk from being able to live a normal life as it is indeed the source of our thirst. It can become greedy, but nevertheless it is helpful in offering guidance when it comes to lying, and it takes notice of the host's thoughts and attachments, holding back the thirst when in the presence of those attachments.

This had explained many things: The monster noticed the endless energy radiating off Edward when I had not. With its learning growth, it had first been interested in taking Edward down, but after assessing it through eyes that I had not, it quickly deterred its reasoning and told me to run from him. Saw him as a potential danger. It knew that if I had killed everyone in the classroom during my first months of my life that I could have gotten away with it, but with its irrationality, it also didn't care for the fact that I wanted to live my human life, so killing would have put me on the run. The attachments were of what I had already theorized myself with when I noticed that I was not inclined to feed on my friends or family and when it stayed hidden when they were around. In its faults, I had felt miffed with the subconscious monster that impedes my decision but knowing this information now has made me feel a taste of appreciation for it. I smiled at the thought but frowned when I acknowledged that this parasite was the reason for my hunger.

"My mother tells me you have a hard time with feeding," she smiled empathetically. "It's okay, you really shouldn't look so grim on the subject. You do need to sustain yourself because you deserve to live just as much, especially if you are trying to live such a normal human life."

"Why didn't you take that route?" I asked. "To live a normal life, I mean."

"I wasn't destined to be normal; I knew that as much." She sighed heavily. "I thought my path would take me to being a star on the big screen, fighting off paparazzi, making my way through the crowds of fans. But I suppose it's not much different. I treat my life as if it is a movie that I'm acting out. Fighting off the bad guys in an action film. It really helps having my power be what it is. Using it to decipher who is set to commit villainous acts."

I suppose that did explain her cold behavior that her mother had spoken of. The way she seemed so distant to those who were new to this family, it was all a never-ending act.

"And that helps?"

She nods, "It does."

"But I don't care to motivate my life into a movie. That is not my fortunate plan, nor do I want to be the cause of death."

"Have you tried the path of taking what you need in small amounts and leaving your victim alive?"

"Yes, but so far, that only had worked on a woman who was a heavy smoker. I couldn't bare the taste," I muttered, thinking of how the honey flavor was coated with the grotesque flavor of tobacco, making my lungs feel heavy and weak.

Abigail's nose scrunched as she appeared disgusted. "I've had my shares of those, but mostly my victims are alcoholics, and some are drug addicts," she smirked. "Those are not too bad at all."

My ears perked up.

Abigail shrugged. "You know the high you feel when the victim is overly stimulated in sexual aggravation? It's like that, but you feel drunk off of it instead. It's not bad." She smirked.

"It may be arbitrary to ask, but can we get drunk by drinking?"

"You mean you haven't tried? Aren't you a teenager?"

"My dad's a cop," I explained. "And I'm not twenty-one."

That encouraged a new fit of heavy laughter from Abigail. She seemed to be in hysterics because of my comment that I had even found myself laughing with her, feeling joyed with the sudden lightness of our conversation that seemed so serious moments ago. When the laughter died down into fits of giggles, she continued.

"Of course, we can," she smiled. "What kind of life would that be if we could never get drunk? Our liver is still functioning just as much as a human does. It still synthesizes the alcohol into our strange blood stream. Not as fast, and takes a little more than average, but still works."

"Oh."

"I really wish I had met you sooner, Bella. I wish I had been the one to help you in the beginning of your new life. You need to know things, to know that not everything is your fault, but it is what we must live with. But I am going to ask, why were you lying? You lied to me earlier about why your plans changed. Why is that?"

I desperately looked away from her, staring into the darkness of the woods for just a moment. Could I tell her about the wolves and vampires that occupy the city of Forks? Could I give away important secrets of others that were not of my own? No, possibly not. I don't know if Edward had offered his family's secret out of trust in me, but I knew that I couldn't betray whatever trust he had.

"Personal reasons." Good. That was not a lie. "I instead need to hunt out of town."

Abigail stared intently at me, but her expression softened when she shrugged.

"We all have our dark secret, no need to share it. I'm not revealing much of myself that involves personal matters, so I don't expect you to. Still, I am really intrigued on what your gift is, but I'm sure you'll one day figure it out and then in time if we meet again, you can tell me."

"Can I ask something else of you?" She nodded. "Why and when did you decide to tell your mom about what you were?"

"Oh, that." She smiled. "When I was with my creator, traveling the country with him as he taught me to drain energy and told me the ways of a succubus and incubus, I heard the broadcasts on the radio of my disappearance. My description was given away, my name, my last location, my family members… It took me a while before I decided to make myself known. I could hear the heartbreak in my mom's voice when she was given the chance to speak on it. It hurt… it really hurt. It wasn't until my creator told me that he would have to leave, that it was now the time to as he had started to see the changes being done to me that he was involuntarily doing, the changes that no longer could be undone just by feeding as long as I was around him.

"That was when I decided to return home. My mom and I had always been close to one another, and I knew that I could entrust her with my secret. Just like you had felt before with abandonment, I too had felt that. For me though, I knew that he had no choice but to leave, but still. I wasn't ready to be alone. A girl needs her mother sometimes." She shrugged. "She told me you haven't told your dad about your new life. Why not?"

"I don't think he would understand," I replied. "I'm not sure he would accept me, especially knowing what I have to do to sustain myself. He is a man of the law…"

"And you think he would have you killed?"

"No! No, of course not. But I wonder if he would be disgusted and not want to see me again."

"I'm sure that's not true," she huffed out another slow chuckle. "But that is up to you if you choose to tell him or not. I'm glad you have been able to keep up appearances long enough so far without him noticing."

In the distance possibly three miles away, I could hear heavy tires falling onto the slick roads that previously succumbed to the rain. I heard the engine roaring closer to the building in each passing second. Edward must be on his way, and he was coming fast.

"I have to go," I said, pushing myself off the bench. I decided that I really didn't want her to meet Edward. Not yet maybe not ever. "Um," I faltered my hands through the front pocket of my scrubs, pulling out my cell phone. "Do you have a way that I can contact you? Maybe we can exchange numbers."

"Bella, I promise there is no reason you would need to speak with me again. You have all the tools you need to live your life."

"Please," I begged. "I need answers. Options. I need help with feeding and managing to not drain someone completely. I can't do it. I can't be the vigilante that your mother wants me to be."

She drew the inside of her cheek in between her teeth. "It'll take practice…" She sounded unsure of me. "A lot. And that means many victims."

"Whatever it takes to learn, just please… don't leave me alone in this."

"I'm sorry, I can't." She shook her head with a frown as she stood up. She began pacing backwards on her heels towards the woods behind the facility. "I can't come when you need me to, and you will. You will eventually ask for me to return for help, and I can't offer that. I know you were already needing to feed before I arrived, and I can already see the lower lids of your eyes hollowing and the color of your hair fading. You are beginning to drain faster because of me. I can't, Bella, and I honestly suggest that you feed before you return to school tomorrow."

"Abigail," I begged her name, feeling the edges of my eyes moisten with tears that were almost beginning to spill. "Please don't leave me."

"You can do this on your own," The silhouette of her was only showing signs that she was there now as she descended into the darkness of the woods, darkening her figure further as she backed deeper into them. "I promise."

And then she was gone. She had left. I dropped the phone onto the wet grass as it began to vibrate with a phone call from Edward to remind me that he was here to pick me up. I hadn't noticed that I had fallen onto my knees until the dewed grass seemed into the scrubs of my pants, dampening them. She left me. And I was alone, again.

The phone on the ground began to vibrate again. I quickly snatched it into my hand and clicked the answer button before Edward would notice where the vibration was coming from. Stupid vampires and their heightened sense of hearing. I lifted the end of my shirt up to my face, wiping away the tears that had trickled over my cheeks. I placed the phone against my ear to answer.

"H-hello?" I sniffled, snorting back the drainage that was escaping my nose. "Edward?"

"Bella, are you alright?" His voice showed concern through the other side of the call.

"I'm fine," I breathed. "Are you here?"

"Yes, I'm here." But his voice echoed this time, from the phone and from a short distance away. I investigated the direction of the velvet voice that spoke so smoothly, seeing Edward leaning against the side of the brick wall of the building. He took the phone away from his ear ending the call, but not taking his eyes off me as he pushed it into his pocket.

I looked away from him, wiping away more of any excess of tears and stood up from the grass, wiping away any loose strands of it from my scrubs.

"Hi," I said, staring back over at him.

"Hello," he replied. His eyes still held worry, but the edge of his lip turned upward. Relief looked to have flooded through him. "Are you ready to head home?"

I thought for a moment of what Abigail had said to me. Was I ready to go home? Or should I instead take her advice and feed before school hours tomorrow?

"I have something else in mind," I replied with widened eyes, staring at him for his reaction. His eyebrow raised at me questionably, glancing over towards the woods where Abigail disappeared. At first it seemed he had found himself curious with the possible thoughts from Abigail in the far distance, but his interests softened when he gestured his neck towards the front of the building.

"Well, let's go then."

A/N

So… After re-doing this chapter… It ended up being the longest one I have ever written. 18,400 words! (32 pages) It wasn't meant to go that long, but... I hope it's improved. I hope you guys enjoyed Bella's conversation with Abigail… very well needed. And yes, Bella's succubus nature has always brought the effect of the Lure around her, but she never paid attention to the other students outside of her inner circle before… The spring dance inspired others to muster up the courage to show the intention of their affections! Please leave your thoughts on the different sections of this chapter and I hope to read from you all and see at least 10 reviews before the upcoming update. And… until next time!(: