And we're back! Finally the new year with a fresh chapter for this series! 2018 was rough, busy, and felt insanely long. Thankfully so far, 2019 has been a little nicer to your girl, haha. I feel a lot more motivated to write than I did last year too. Finger crossed, it sticks around for a long while!

Anyway, this chapter's gonna be kinda an emotional whirlwind..at least for Cyan, that is. You all are gonna get a bit of insight into her past, childhood trauma, secrets, and especially more sneaky hints as to what our lovely girl might be. So be on the look out for those. *wink wink* And don't worry, there's some humor tossed in as well. Not all gloom and sadness here, folks.

Well, enough rambling from me. Go and enjoy the new chapter, my darling readers. Hell, even bring some snacks along too, haha. -xoxo, Lovely

Side Note: Also not sure if I've mentioned before who my face claims for all my original main characters in this series, so I'll do that now just to got a nice mental image of everybody, haha.

Cyan: Valerie Poxleitner-Bokan aka the singer Lights, Natalia: Charlize Theron, Evan: Jeffery Dean Morgan, & Becca: Zendaya

Lots of Love for CrystalVixen93, Sheridan111000, genjigod19, LapisLazuliRose, & my 3 guest readers for your reviews! And everyone else for 77 favs & 115 follows!

And a very special, heartfelt chapter dedication to

gothicpoet0615

Thank you so much for reviewing every chapter. I adore reading what you thought about my fanfic. Your feedback was honestly what pushed me to continue and be extra giddy to write more for this, my dear. So, I hope I continue having your warm support in the future and thanks again, you lovely individual! xoxo

-The Wilderness

-Pairing(s): slowburn Edward Cullen/OC

-Rated: High T for mild language, slight triggering elements, and minor adult situations

-Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. The canon characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. I only own the original characters introduced.

Chapter Six:

"I'm a Loser, Baby, So Why Don't You Leave Me Alone"

(Chapter Songs: Fake Happy by Paramore & Lovely by Billie Eilish ft. Khalid)

The pleasant notes of Debussy's 'Clair de Lune' floated gently from the speakers. Coupled with the soft patter of rain falling against glass, creating a lulling serenity. Anyone who sat among its' tranquil aura would easily find themselves drifting along and forgetting about the outside world. Allowing whatever troubles may have laid heavy on their weary mind and soul slip momentarily free…

Unfortunately, that was just a wishful illusion.

Because Edward couldn't find an ounce of peace from it whatsoever.

Alone inside his Volvo temporarily residing in the school parking lot, he sat behind the wheel with closed eyes; forehead resting along the leather steering. Anyone on the outside happening to glance in would simply believe he was skipping class by using the hour to catch up on some lost sleep that morning. It was a normal thing for a teenager to be found doing after all. But again, he was anything but normal. While eternally appearing as said age group, his mind, past experiences, secret lifestyle, and demeanor displayed someone far older than what was physically perceived.

And yet..in that very moment..the vampire felt like his former seventeen year old self once more after a hundred and eighteen years of roaming the ever-changing earth.

All due to one human girl.

Auburn-haired head shifting slightly to the side, golden orbs opened and fell on the now warm can of Coke resting in his center console; still oddly in his possession. Given how strongly it had been pushed into his chest, it was surprising the beverage remained intact and not coated him all over with the sticky carbonated liquid. His sternum—where said item had been roughly thrust into—suffered from its phantom pressure now and then as well. He caught himself a few times rubbing the area absentmindedly to relieve the irritating sensation.

Almost as if all her vexation towards him ended up seared onto his flesh as an invisible mark.Like a curse..To forever be plagued by nonstop thoughts of Cyan.

Even now, stormy dark browns crept to the forefront of his mind. Having stared directly and solely into his lighter ones due to their close range in height. God..they could very well have rivaled the tumultuous weather brewing outside; threatening to strike him with lightning in that very spot. So alluring but potentially deadly. Especially coupled with scoffing wine-colored lips and knife-like words—

"You really need to sort out your own shit first, Cullen. And stay the hell out of mine's."

A groan of annoyance towards himself disrupted the soft music.

There he went again—reliving her cold advice and their tense but awkward interaction back in the cafeteria. For the several passing minutes since, they played on a never-ending loop of self-torture inside his head. To witness his previous actions with second-hand embarrassment and made to ponder how he'd change certain aspects if given the chance to start over.

Afterwards, the self-pity switched towards anger at the young woman's rude questioning.

Wondering how the hell she couldn't see that was exactly what he'd done as of late. That from the very moment coming in contact with her tantalizing scent, he tried—and sadly failing—his damnedest to keep his distance. So, his delicate control over his ravenous beast didn't completely fall through and be taken over by only his baser instincts; no longer being the 'human' he pretended to still be. And each time he actually believed to finally be able to manage as usual, some thing or sudden event ended up dragging him through the dirt back towards her.

Such as Alice's vision that afternoon and the discovery of Cyan's emotions affecting Jasper.

Once again, unwarranted intrigue floated to the surface. "...Who are you truly, Cyan Warren?"

Mind unable to formulate answers, he was finally able to take in the music of his favorite composer. 'Clair de Lune' had long since ended. The piano now replaced by various woodwinds, horns, and strings. Slow and beguiling the sound was..with hints of mischievous playfulness mixed into the notes.

A rare genuine laugh.

Always so carefree and airy sounding.

His body rippled with an uninhibited shiver, having nothing to do with the chilled temperature. No..it was more due to a sensual feeling much like the theme of—

'Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune'..which he now realized was currently playing.

"Oh, how fitting.." Edward commented wryly. Another groan and headbutt to the steering wheel, he squeezed his tawny eyes firmly shut. As if that would help block out not only the soda can and music, but also memories of Warren and his conflicted feelings.

He leaned back against the driver seat with a heavy sigh. "In all my years..one thing unfortunately hasn't changed," the vampire deadpanned to no one in particular. "Women are ever a true mystery."

Unknowingly, the Fates were already setting him on a course to unravel the mystery of one certain young woman..

Which began with a single bloodcurdling scream.

The horrible sound violently jolted him from his thoughts, shaking him to his very core. So much so that he didn't realize his body moved on its' own until the light drizzle outside connected with his bare cold skin. His gaze searched the parking lot in a wild panic for the source, growing more distressed when unable to locate it.

A stroke of luck thankfully happened then. The wind blew gently passed him, carrying a lovely familiar scent.

Nostrils flared, greedily inhaling. The 'beast' inside whimpered out, "Cyan.."

With that single word, Cullen disappeared from his spot in the blink of an eye. If anyone had been in the lot with him, they would've started to question their sanity upon noticing he was gone without a trace. Though, the open car door and Debussy's music playing from within displayed the only remnant of his existence having ever been truly there.

It was happening again.

It was fucking happening again and Cyan was struggling to stop it.

None of her usual methods were working to banish the gory sight from her teary vision; no Tyler either to help coax her out of her memories.

Red was all she could see. Endless, maddening crimson. Dripping from her open palms or splattered across the concrete floor. Pooling under the quickly growing cold body of her dearest love one. Sharp unnatural teeth that grinned crazily up at her, coated in the sickening color. Threatening to tear her apart next—

She pressed the heel of her palms into her dark ones; a pounding headache pulsing behind them. "Go away..just go away.."

But they wickedly persisted..paying her pleading no mind at all.

And the eyes too! Those terrible, chaotic orbs that haunted her every waking dream and nightmare. How they had paired with the awful hue of their barbaric carnage, blazing so unnaturally bright in their insanity. Piercing out of the darkness like some morbid beacon of a lighthouse filled with nothing but horrors, tugging her towards a promised violent death.

"Have you come to play with me like dear ol' Daddy, little girl?"

A shiver ran through her, having nothing to do with how wet and freezing her body was.

Damn it, that voice. Slightly raspy, full of patronizing mockery and egotism..and regrettably unforgettable.

She was hearing that monster now, signaling how lost into her latest episode she was. Trembling fingers tangled into her damp hair, pulling hard enough to threaten removal of the thick strands. The last time she'd gone this far off the deep end was back in middle school.

One of her former classmates was goofing around with a few of his friends in the courtyard before homeroom. She and Becca sat lounging on the edge of the fountain located there with several other students, watching and making fun of the immature boys.

"Would you look at those idiots?" Her best friend rolled her eyes, shaking her immaculate bundle of natural brown curls. "Acting like they're still in elementary school, and not seventh grade." Cyan had laughed in agreement. But before the other girl could judge further, misfortune struck. One wrong shove and down the boy went, landing face first into the stone pathway. Resulting in a broken nose and split upper lip that both poured nonstop blood.

She couldn't look away in time..

It took Natalia physically coming to the school to snap her fully out of it. The aftermath of that result was equally as wonderful as reliving her childhood trauma.

The voice switched tones now, turning more saccharine.

"..Come here, sweetheart..Tell mama all about it.."

Oh god, as if this couldn't get even worse! The young woman brought her knees up, burying her face between them. She choked out a sob, unable to squeak out even a word. Resorted to fearfully shaking her head in response to the phantom voice. It was becoming hard to breathe. Warren didn't know how much longer it would be before blacking out. Boy, did she hope it'd lead to that and not continue on towards the more physical hallucinations.

Just as her mental breakdown seemed about to reach its' peak, the ugly voices were suddenly joined by a new sound—

An unexpected buzz.

Teary browns automatically glanced ahead, sensing the exact direction where the person responsible for the noise was. Several steps below, staring up at her with unbridled concern clouding their amber gaze, stood none other than Edward Cullen. Cyan couldn't help but take all of him in. His current presence was truly something else..

The light rain had sodden his purposely messy hair some, causing several strands to fall over his forehead and into those troubled eyes. Like her own clothing, his thin black shirt and jeans were also victims to the downpour, clinging to his lean but fit body almost sinfully. If not so distressed, she'd hate him even more for looking like some literal brooding wet dream from some cliché teen romance novel while she sat there resembling either a tragic raccoon or Kayako from the Grudge.

But that wasn't how she appeared to Edward at all.

To him, she just looked so lost and scared. The complete opposite of the impassive girl who displayed confidence and spoke sarcasm like no other he'd come to know. Who's steely orbs from earlier were now stricken by unseen horrors and unshed tears. Drenched and huddled in on herself with dark wet strands clinging to mascara-stained cheeks. If he had to, the vampire would compare her to that of a Siren from Greek mythology. Luring him in with not her voice, but her sad eyes and intoxicating fragrant instead..right towards his second death.

Because he had no control over his actions since his beast recognized her smell in the passing wind. They were on high alert, even more so upon discovering Cyan's fragile form on the top step. Needing—no, desperate to find out what ails her or worse, who was responsible and deserved to be on the receiving end of their rage. Cullen, not bothering to put on his human act around her, sped up the steps until he was inches from her.

Flinching back, Warren gasped in surprise at his sudden appearance in front of her. Though knowing of his unnatural speed capability, that was the first time she actually witnessed it with her very own eyes. One second, he was several feet away and the next, him staring directly into her eyes and invading her personal bubble. And because she didn't blink either, his form appeared as nothing more than a pale fast-moving blur.

"Just like..him." The very thought caused the tightness in her chest to return. The telepath tilted his head, brows furrowing. Her heartbeat had abruptly picked up. Did he frighten her by what he'd done? Once more, he wished his gift was useful in that moment.

With a bit of reverse déjà vu, cold fingertips gently brushed her jaw line. "I'm sorry..are you alright?" He inwardly kicked himself after asking such a stupid question. Of course, she wasn't!

Even so, she still shook her wet head, wheezing out. "N-No..can-can't..b-breathe." A shaky hand then raised up and rubbed at the center of her chest; ironically, the very same location that had been bothering him. "H-hurts."

Cullen nodded in understanding. "Okay.." he said softly, speaking to her as if a frighten animal. In a way..she was. Caged and left pacing until driven to insanity. Unable to escape the prison the suffocating mood held her captive in. "First, I need you to purse your lips for me."

Dark browns widen. "I-I-I..ain't a-about..t-t-to..kiss ya!" she stuttered; the request exciting her panic attack further. His lighter ones couldn't help but roll; her immature exclamation restoring him to his usual demeanor a tad.

"That's not why I said it." he deadpanned, "Look, you need to—"

"Cyan!" The vampire glanced away at the new voice. Not too far from them stood a panic-stricken Mike Newton. Judging by only his expression and how wet the hood and shoulders of his light grey Nike pullover was, he'd been sent to frantically search for their missing classmate. Once spotting them from the short distance, he visibly relaxed and rushed over to join the two, stopping behind his afflicted friend. "There you are! I—and pretty much the whole class—were freaking out looking for you! Are you okay?" Unable to speak nor turning towards the other boy, she shook her head in reply.

"She seems to be suffering from a panic attack..What happen?" Edward asked him. Flashes of Mike's memories triggered upon his questioning. Biology. White cards being passed about while Mr. Molina pricked one of their classmates' fingers. Cyan's panicked face as she ran by—

Ah yes, the blood typing lesson; the reason for him cutting class in the first place. Since he thankfully didn't smell any spilled blood coming from the young woman, it was safe to assume she hadn't gone through with it. Most likely, not enjoying the sight of blood.

Well, that helped explain some things..

"We were in Bio, which you're clearly skipping," Newton relayed, unable to resist the jab at his chosen absence and also unaware of the telepath seeing his thoughts. "About to do some blood typing assignment—" Cyan wheezed harder at its' mentioning, leaning forward to press her forehead against the supernatural's cool shoulder. Edward cupped the back of her head, stroking her hair to calm her a tad.

Normally, she'd bristle at his unwelcome touches but she really didn't have the energy to spare. Trying to breathe and push back the budding nausea took much of her focus to care about personal matters at the moment. But if she was being honest..deep down, him stroking her hair didn't feel too bad. Plus, it oddly helped soothe her fast breaths. Just like how her father would whenever she got upset as a child..

The younger teen glared at him then, not liking his closeness to his friend/crush one bit. "Wait..why do you even care? More importantly, what the hell are you doing near her anyway, Cullen?" Said person returned the look with his own blazing one. He didn't like the clear contempt heard in the human's voice whatsoever, letting slip a sub-low warning growl.

Small, feminine hands grasped the front of his damp tee, all of a sudden. "D-Don't do t-that!" pleaded Warren softly, sounding very much like a terrified child after seeing the monster hidden under their bed. He blinked, taken aback. Had she heard him growl?! How? No normal human should—

"But she's not exactly normal.." noted his inner voice, reminding him of the little he learned earlier.

"See! You touching her is freaking her out!" Newton accused, glaring harder. It should be him—someone the newcomer actually trusted—to comfort her, not the loner creep Edward. Couldn't he take a hint and realize she wanted nothing to do with him? With those thoughts, Mike had enough. He leaned down, planning to pull her from the other boy's arms but the telepath was always one step ahead of him.

With unnatural ease, Edward scooped the poor girl up into his hard arms, carrying her bridal style. Cyan groaned and squeezed her eyes tighter; her stomach not liking the sudden movement at all! He glanced at her before leaning down to press his nose against her hair, uttering a soft apology..with a peculiar rumbling noise drifting along at the end of it.

"Wait a sec..did he just purr?!" she questioned once recognizing the sound, bewildered. She groaned once again. God, that day was just getting more weird; almost outweighing the horrible.

"I'm taking her to the nurse now." Cullen said dismissively towards Mike, brushing pass him with the young woman in tow. "You can go back to class and inform Mr. Molina on what happened. Then bring her items—"

"No, I should be the one to take her, not you." Newton refused the order with clenched teeth, following and struggling to keep up with his long stride. "I'm not gonna go along with you just walking away with her when she can't even fight back if you try to molest her or—" The vampire sped around so fast, the other boy almost collided into him. Dark amber orbs glared venomously down at the stupidly bold human, sharp teeth bared. Said person involuntarily took a step back; a shudder of fear crawling down his spine from the murderous look directed solely at him.

How dare he?! How dare this wretch who had no right, given the perverted hormone-driven fantasies of Cyan he'd unfortunately witness for the past month, to accuse him of defiling her? His beast raged at the blatant insult to their honor, wanting nothing more than to violently rip this boy apart. And in rare concordance, Edward agreed; ready to risk everything his coven leader built for his family yet again.

But thankfully, both for Mike and his sake's, the deemed-justified bloodshed wouldn't be enact..stopped in the worse and most embarrassing way possible.

A small 'oh no' interrupted the tense quiet before the terrible sound of retching followed. Mike jumped back with a crinkled nose, exclaiming 'ugh, gross' at the sight. Cullen didn't even bother to look—the vile image played simultaneously in the other teen's mind and the smell alone told what unfortunately occurred—and just threw his head back with a heavy sigh. He briefly wondered if Alice had foreseen this event happening and was getting a sick laugh out of her brother's latest misery. Probably not..given how much his shirt really cost..

A few moments after, he felt the young woman fall limp in his arms, having finally fainted.

Another sigh slipped from him. Without a glance at the mess nor Newton, he repeated his previous order before walking off.

Mike gave no objection this time around..

All was calm.

The water, the wind, and even her breathing. It had been awhile since she'd been fishing out on the lake at her father's cabin. Even longer since Uncle Charlie and Bella had tagged along for a trip. Though being out among nature wasn't her thing, Cyan was still happy her favorite cousin chose to come; glad to reconnect with the shy girl once again. She turned towards the dock where said person sat in a beach chair reading while listening to some alternative rock station from the portable FM radio player. With Becca by her side keeping her company while laying on a towel, sun-tanning.

Seeming to sense her gaze, the year-older cousin lifted her head and met her eyes across the water. That rare bright smile she tended to only reserve for Warren blazed as she waved happily. Like always, the two had clicked instantly once face-to-face even with the many years of distance between them. It was like no time had passed without seeing each other. She was thankful for that. Bella paused in her waving and said something to the other girl. Not looking up, her best friend then offered her own lazy wave. Cyan finally waved back, chuckling softly.

All was calm..and good.

Turning back to the relaxed water, she inhaled the idyllic afternoon air; smelling of fresh pine from the surrounding forest. A small smile graced her lips as she listened to light chirping chatter the local birds were discussing. Leaning her head back, the young woman allowed the warm sun in the cloudless sky to tan her peachy skin a shade darker even with the threat of it fading her many colorful tattoos. Which was fine though. She needed to get some of them retouched anyway.

"Hmm..I wonder if Bec is up to another adventure at the tattoo shop next week?" she pondered, "She probably will if it means she can get semi-naked for Noah again. Maybe I can manage to get sweet Bella to embrace some of Renee's wild side she inherited and join us while she's here, haha."

A sharp tug from her fishing pole snapped her out of her reverie. She quickly put on her game face and started reeling the unlucky fish in. In no time, she had a nice rainbow trout in her skilled hands.

All was calm..good..and perfect.

"Caught yet another one!" the young woman singsonged with a smug smirk. "If this keeps up, you boys are gonna be elbow deep in fish guts." A chorus of groans sounded off beside her where her father and uncle sat on the shared boat.

Grinning, she placed her catch in the cooler with her others. "Your daughter is showing us up again, Evan." she heard Charlie complain.

His brother just laughed good-heartedly. "What can I say? She's good."

"Too good when we got a bet going on." grumbled her competitive uncle.

Cyan ran a finger along the back of one previously caught trout as a soft rustling disrupted the quiet air. Her father most likely shrugging in response before stating, "She can't help it. Since she was a kid, the fish have always been oddly attracted to her."

"Hm, or Lady Luck is on her side."

"Or that too." Evan deadpanned. The young woman chuckled, turning to face them. Ready to say in a snarky tone 'Maybe they just like me better because I'm the pretty one out of the three of us'..but the words died on her tongue.

Eyes widening with horror as she met her father's face—his decomposing face.

All was calm..good..and perfectly false.

He gave her an attempt of what appeared to be a grin; more like a grotesque sneer. "Too bad you couldn't share some of that luck with me, baby girl."

Before she could even properly react, cold lips caressed the outer shell of her left ear.

"Too bad indeed..little girl."

Her screams then echoed nonstop around the wilderness..

All was calm..good..perfectly false..and dead.

Terrified dark brown eyes snapped open, meeting the off-white ceiling above; not the clear blue sky from her nightmare.

Cyan was fortunately back in reality.

Palm pressed against her clammy forehead, a shaky exhale escaped while regaining her senses. Her memory was foggy, only able to remember talking to Mike and then sitting down in Molina's class.

She sighed again. Great, memory gaps. Those tended to occur after having a really bad episode. Something during class definitely must have triggered it..but what?

The amnesic teen slowly sat up and tried to figure out where the hell she was now. A quick scan at the room with health-related posters and items and the shabby bed underneath her, it wasn't hard to realize it was the nurse's office.

"And where exactly is said nurse?" As if summoned by her thoughts, Mrs. Hammond entered; yet another interesting character to reside in sleepy town Forks.

The older woman was in her late fifties dressed in blue scrubs with a beige-colored wool cardigan around her shoulders. The top part of her scrubs had various breeds of cartoon dogs printed on it. The corners of Cyan's lips lifted upon seeing the cute theme. Her graying hair was styled nicely in a rock-a-billy pin-up girl sorta style. The teen wondered if there was some ink donning her aging skin hidden by the long-sleeved undershirt. And genial blue eyes which crinkled in the corners as her bubblegum pink lips smiled upon noticing her sitting up.

"Oh! You're awake!" she exclaimed in relief. The younger woman inwardly grimaced. God..was her fit that bad? The elderly nurse's happy smile dimmed softly—more like, pityingly—at her. "We were getting worried about you, dear. If you slept any longer, I thought I would have to give the hospital and your uncle a call."

"How.." Warren paused, clearing her hoarse throat. It felt incredibly raw and dry. There was a gross aftertaste accompanying it in her mouth too. "How long was I asleep?"

"A good twenty minutes since that Cullen boy brought you in. The last period of the day's already started—"

She blinked owlishly. Did she hear her right? "Cullen boy?"

"Oh yes, Edward Cullen—polite young man, but a bit peculiar that one." It took every bit of energy to resist scoffing after that remark. Polite? Hell no. Peculiar? Most definitely. Mrs. Hammond returned to her desk as she continued, "He carried you in here. Both dripping wet! Must have ran through the rain to get you to the office faster. And they say chivalry is dead among you youngsters today."

Genuine surprise expression shown on her face. So, Edward was actually committing to his out-of-blue caring act. But again why? What the hell did he want or planned to get out of being nice to her? She was desperate now to know. But first, what Cyan really needed was some more context clues for her full memory to return.

Voice casual and unimpressed, she inquired lightly. "So he carried me? What, did I trip over my feet and hurt myself or something?" That was more her cousin's thing than hers really. But hey, today turned out to be chock full of uncharacteristic surprises, so the outcome was possible. Her heart instantly clenched in pain at the thought of sweet Bella; the good part of the nightmare still fresh in her mind. She quickly straighten, hardening herself. Her wild emotions had had their fun messing with her enough today.

There went that pitying look on the woman's face again. "No, apparently you didn't take Mr. Molina's lesson plan for today too well." Raven-haired head tilted to the side, more confused. "You know.." She leaned across her crowded desk and whispered as if sharing some scandalous secret. "The blood typing."

And like a bolt of lightning, everything came rushing back with those three words.

Running out of class. The cold rain. Seeing red. The voices. Struggling to breathe. Concern tawny orbs.

Edward.

Warren closed her eyes, facepalming. He witnessed her at her lowest—her true self. Of all people, Edward fucking Cullen had to see how much of a mental case she actually was. She wished Hades would open up the earth and drag her pathetic butt into the underworld. Then by doing the honor of finishing her off by drowning her into the river Styx himself.

"It's okay." the nurse reassured offhandedly, fiddling with the clutter on her desk in search of something. "There's always one that ends up getting sick and fainting at the sight of blood."

Getting sick? She peered down, finally discovering the blatant difference with her clothes. Cheeks burned a light pink in realization; the awful taste wordlessly explained.

"Oh, for fuck sake's.." Cyan thought while asking aloud, "C-Can I use the bathroom?"

With Hammond's permission, she swung her sore legs over the edge of the uncomfortable bed. But paused when her right boot-covered foot bumped into something upon meeting the ground. Glancing down, a tan colored canvas rucksack decorated with various sewn and ironed-on patches sat there—her handy-dandy backpack! So Mike actually listened to Cullen. She smirked, reminding herself to thank him later. The young woman then saw a tied white plastic garage bag beside her pack. Now, that didn't belong to her..

Well, she thought so.

The older woman spotted her puzzled staring at the questionable bag. "Your shirt and jacket are in there, honey." Ah, right. Not only did Eddie's shirt suffer, so did half her Friday ensemble too. A frown formed on bubblegum lips then, adding. "What a shame. They look like they costed a pretty penny too. Hopefully, they're not too ruined and you can get them dry-cleaned."

Even so..Warren wasn't planning on wearing them again after everything. "Just like the puke, too many bad memories stain them now."

She said nothing, grabbing her belongings and trudging to the bathroom. Pausing outside the heavy wooden door, her eyes seemed to be drawn towards the window. The rain had started once more..Dark browns quickly turned away and disappeared inside the only place that provided privacy and slight peace of mind at the moment.

"..Nothing good ever happens when it rains.."

A self-loathing puffy red-eyed, runny mascara and smudged eyeliner, frizzy haired wreck of a seventeen-year old girl glared back at her carbon-copy in the tiny mirror above the equally small sink.

Her sorry appearance made it seem like she was the aftermath of a drunk night of crazy partying and all sorts of debauchery. Ending up hungover and in someone else's clothes. The oversize Fork's High school mascot logo pullover, no doubt hastily 'borrowed' from the lost and found box, alluding to her having a romp in the sheets with some random jock.

When in reality, she relapsed and suffered a long over-due mental breakdown. Looking like she was trying and failing to win against the lead singer of My Chemical Romance on who wore the smoky eye look better.

"Eat your heart out, Gerard Way.." she couldn't help but joke dryly, shooting finger guns at her pitiful duplicate. Several seconds of awkward silence filled the single toilet restroom. Dropping to her elbows against the sink, she covered her makeup smeared face and let out a heavy troubled moan. What an utterly miserable downward spiral she was..

And it seemed the universe continued to either annoy, try to kill, or make a fool out of her. Or all of the above! The young woman wanted nothing more than to crawl into a deep hole and die. Even more so, when remembering who she spilled her guts on.

"Ugh! Does all the crazy stuff that happens to me lately have to involve him?!" she complained in exasperation.

But who knows, maybe once the initial mortification subsided, this might be something to laugh and even brag about.

'Yeah, Edward Cullen? I threw up on that jerk once and you should've seen his face! It was priceless!'

..Nope. Strike that. It never would be.

Because they hadn't been alone..Mike ended up 'winning' front row tickets to the Barf Show. Two people she knew—one, she was gradually becoming good friends with and the other, greatly detested—experienced a rare double feature of her now most embarrassing moments. There was no doubt too, given how small the school was, everyone probably knew; whether they were in her grade or not.

Though she doubted Mike would blab—at least, she hoped—the faculty were a bunch of terrible gossipers just as bad as the student body. So, it wouldn't be long before the whole story was nicely pieced together and spread about like the fleas chilling on rats who caused the Bubonic plague. She already could picture Jess secretly enjoying her mortifying mishap and mental breakdown, hoping it repelled Newton's interest in the other girl too. Hell, Warren even had her fingers crossed for the same as well. Not just with him, but anyone still fascinated with her in general.

Well, on the bright side, Edward was definitely gonna leave her alone forever now.

"Yeah, who in their right mind would continue hanging around the girl who shared her unsolicited digested breakfast with."

"But.." came a whispering inner voice; this one full of nothing but negativity and self-doubt. "What if it's not just him who decides to?"

That's right..

Because of all this, Fork Highs could revert into another terrible copy of her school life back in Boston..

The sound of loud footsteps alerted a ten year old Cyan of her uninvited guests. She just sighed, not bothering to even glance back, and continued quietly creating her white daisy flower crown.

"And last but not really important, is Cyan Skye Warren—the nature freak." announced the snobby voice of Irene Calhoun. "Who likes talking to plants like they're people and actually believes the things understand her!" Her little followers laughed like that was the most hilarious thing their single-celled minds had ever heard..which it probably was.

Dark brown eyes rolled, knowing the current abuse was unnecessary. Everybody in their grade knew already this..except there was a new girl in school that day. And believing she could get another lackey to do her bidding, the popular girl decided out of the 'kindness of her heart' to show her around—including who to stay away from.

"Talking to the flowers again, Cyan?" she then asked mockingly. The bullied girl said nothing, annoying Irene with her lack of response. She leaned over her and saw what she was making. "Oh! You're making another lame crown. Did you remember to thank them for offering themselves to help make such an ugly thing?"

Warren finally spoke, her voice calm and uninterested. "..I did. It's the respectable thing to do, after all." She paused before adding with a tiny sly smile. "Oh yeah, they wanted you to know that you remind them of a Bulbophyllum by the way."

"..Am I suppose to even know what the hell that means?" Irene inquired, unamused. The other girl just shrugged with an air that her classmate sensed made Cy think she was better than her. Which she did. Irene was a terrible person inside and out just like her mother, so compared to her, she was better than both of them. It was why she put up with the constant bullying..because it fueled her to never be anything like them.

"With your grades...probably not. It's a flower that sometimes smells like death and known to attract flies much like you do with your flying monkeys behind ya." Something hard then struck her in the center of her back, propelling her forward and to land face first in the grass. Her intricately-made flower crown got caught in the fall and was damaged. While she groaned in pain, Calhoun lowered her foot before turning around with a flip of her wavy strawberry blonde hair and walking away with a harsh command for the other girls to follow. Once the pain subsided, Cyan slowly lifted herself up, wiping the dirt from her face; not the least bit surprise either when spying the blood streaks mixed in. This was nothing new after all..

Ripping a piece of sandpaper-like paper towel out of the plastic dispenser with a growl, she turned on the sink knobs and finally began quick work on cleaning herself up.

Yup..it would be nothing new at all.

Backpack on, trash bag in hand and feeling like garbage too, Warren stood in the small hallway outside the administrators' office, pondering what to do next. She flat out refused when asked whether or not to have her uncle called to come pick her up. She didn't want him worrying over her yet again. Sure, she suffered a terrible breakdown but compared to her almost car accident, that crap was practically nothing.

And given what happen, Molina's class was where she should be heading. He deserved a proper apology for her startling behavior..But after being 'escorted' to the nurse by Cullen, she wanted to avoid any chance of bumping into him—Mike, as well—even more now. Plus, there was only several more minutes left of class anyway until the official end to the current school week. Hiding out for a bit in the library and having a slight snooze in one of the book aisles was far more appealing than sneaking by unnoticed to the science building.

For a small school, their library was shockingly massive and held great hideaway places. Probably thanks to the lovely bribe—correction, 'donation' by the wealthy Cullen family no doubt.

Perfect for fellow nap takers like herself..or the more promiscuous crowd. But if she went now, it was likely Ms. Wheaton, the head librarian would easily recognize her. That lady was incredibly great at remembering not only faces, but their schedules too. And even if it was a free period, she was a stickler for students being on time if they tended to go there to spend it. Cyan regretted daily chatting up the seemingly kind old lady when she finally went, instead of skipping.

What a pickle the newcomer once again found herself in..

"..How are you feeling?"

Musing thoughts screeching to a violent halt, she jumped at hearing the unexpected voice in the quiet hall. So startled, a small mouse-like squeak ended up slipping free. With her already overworked heart calming, the young woman cautiously peeked towards her right.

Having definitely not been there a moment ago, standing casually against the wall and sticking out like a sore thumb was Edward.

All cleaned up, hands in the pocket of his expensive grey pea coat, auburn hair restyled messily out of place, and that crooked smile of his ever present. Clearly having enjoyed spooking her for once, getting some well-deserved payback too no doubt. Her cheeks instantly burned red with embarrassment; another undeserving side of her he ended up seeing firsthand. Usually, he was unable to sneak up on Cyan, but her 'senses' were kinda on the fritz after all that draining mental shit and wouldn't be back online for another few hours. So there he stood utterly pleased with his pleased self, looking every bit like one of the male model the Ice Queen always prefer to photograph wearing her suave masculine designs.

Dark browns narrowed. Damn him and his inhuman good looks. His gold ones did the opposite, sparkling with mirth while staring unwavering into hers. If she was any other foolish girl, they'd been swooning for sure.

My, what a picture these two must have looked like from an outsider's perspective too. The physical representation to the definitions of frumpy and fashionable they were. Not that she truly cared what others thought how she looked at the moment. Her current appearance matched perfectly with her deep-rooted mood.

A small grimace twisted her mouth, displaying her real feelings as she spoke, "I'm fine, Cullen."

"Hm..I'm suddenly struck with déjà vu," His crooked smile grew wider. She raised an inquisitive brow. My, he was oddly chipper for someone who got vomited on.. "How about you?"

"Oh yes, especially if it plays out like it did before." Warren deadpanned in response. That wiped the smile off his gorgeous face. Smirking smugly, she continued, "Now, why are you here and skipping another class?" Yet again, very much like clockwork, she was asking him why he repeatedly went out of his way to pester her. And probably like always, a partial response or misdirection would be told as well. She mentally sighed, entirely fatigue of everything and this never-ending cycle to they found themselves in. A dizzy waltz to seemingly forever dance until her poor feet bled or died from overexertion.

"Day in and day out, I find myself sadly becoming more jaded.." remarked the young woman, despondent.

"It can't be out of the kindness of your heart this time." She brushed pass the eternally young man towards the main building doors without a glance, having stood far too long in front of the main office. Cyan didn't want to get two written marks for skipping on her permanent record. And the disapproving glances she felt thrown her way by Ms. Cope for loitering were also motivation to move along. Plus with Cullen gracing her with his lovely presence, heading to Molina's was automatically decided as the chosen victor. Oh, joy.. "Or are you here to hassle me into paying for the shirt I ruined?"

Edward caught up with her slightly fast stride with ease, walking side by side. "Actually, it is out of the kindness of my heart. I'm not some heartless monster, Cyan." he scoffed with an eye roll. His classmate subtly mimicked him. That was for sure, having personally almost been murdered by one.

His tone turned oddly gentle a second afterwards. "..I wouldn't have saved nor helped you if I was."

"My goodness.." Cy paused, staring blankly at him; rebuking immediately that his soft admittance actually touched her a tad. She wasn't gonna be seen as weak in front of him again. Twice was more than enough, thank you very much! "Your mood swings are seriously giving me goddamn whiplash, dude. You should really have yourself checked out by your dad. That can't be at all healthy for ya'."

Wow..what strong hypocritical advice. She herself was the one who needed to be admitted after being overrun by hallucinations and having her tumultuous emotions take the reigns today.

Her fellow classmate wanted to snap back, but held off. The slight tightening in his jawline wasn't missed by her though. "I have a request." was suddenly proposed.

A wary expression marred her tired face. "Which is?"

"If I could speak with you privately?"

"..Isn't that what we're doing right now?" came her smart aleck response. The vampire took in an unneeded breath to control his temper and not return just the right amount of snark as well. He couldn't ruin this monumental moment. One wrong thing would forever change the course leading to the vision of them.

Surprisingly, the event outside hadn't ruined the chance like he'd thought. But during the trip to her last class, Alice reassured all remained in order still..before proceeding to reprimand him for not taking better care of the girl she'd grow already strangely fond of.

As always though, it was increasingly hard when she continued—intentional or not—to get under his hard skin.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stressed her name. Few silent seconds slipped by before a heavy sigh passed her dark colored lips. He tried not to focus fully on them. The color reminded him too much of dried blood..of her sickly sweet blood.

"Okay, fine!" Warren finally caved, throwing her hands up in an exaggerated manner. "I'll bite only because I'm too tired to fight with you today." Plus, she kinda owed him anyway.

A pleased expression spread across his pale face then. It made her on guard once more, suspicious about what the hell he wanted to bother her about. But her curiosity won over. She wanted to see which route this was possibly heading towards.

Pointing a stern finger in his direction, she demanded. "But we aren't doing this where anybody could walk by and eavesdrop. So, you better know a secluded spot where we won't get caught skipping."

Cullen smirked knowingly. "I have somewhere in mind."

Cyan eyed him warily again. "..You better not murder me or I'm gonna haunt your ass for life." He threw his head back, releasing a hearty laugh at the silly threat before resuming to walk ahead of her now. Dark brown orbs glared daggers directly at his lean retreating back.

It felt like she just missed the punchline to a very essential joke right then..

Lovely's Honorable Mentions

Calliope's Scribe, Jadeorion, Mica Dava, roci1223gc, Tonegawa Rie, Darkillachan, helenamtavares, MiisSexyBaby, hannahisabannana, Ellixwolf, gothicpoet0615, bribri1300, lovelyanimeangel, LiraRosaliaPeverell, stefhanie. florencia32, SailorJupiter001, XxMegzQiixx, AkenoG, BlueberryBrina, & maria. kaname

Idek1998, leticiaabc171, firegirl97, xLaBellaVita, LiveLoveWrite-93, Chrysos-hime, Violet in Wonderland, LapisLazuliRose, FreyaCabanas, A-Midnight-Reader, Ms. Sarcastic, eldarin01, Gingerxbug, serikpashka, HigherAngel, genjigod19, & mariam09

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