Author's Note: Hi guysss, I know this chapter is latebecause when I first started this story I was updating everyday, but things have been busy lately and school is getting so hard (pause) and yeah. I sort of had writer's block with this chapter and was avoiding writing it but it's done now and I'll try to make the next one longer. Also shoutout to the person who gave me my first review! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!!


Chapter Five: One Of Us

"Elena?"

"Bella?"

I instantly perked up at the sight of my cousin and smiled. I had family here and I didn't even know it! I would be taken care of! No more street life for me! I quickly ran to meet Elena at the entrance of the shop next to the Mystic Grill, careful not to activate my vampire speed.

"Oh my god! I missed you so much!" Elena exclaimed as we crashed into each other and hugged.

It was one of those good hugs, the one that had both of you rocking back and forth and never wanting to let go. And then I caught wind of her scent...

I instantly backed away from the hug, fighting the urge to bite her in the neck. Awkward...

"When did you guys move here?" I asked.

"We've been here for a few years now actually. I know you and I knew each other as toddlers and we some how fell out of touch so,"

"Yeah yeah, a few years? Wow." I said. "So how's your mom and dad? Oh and your little brother Jeremy?"

It took a while for Elena to respond.

"Um, my mom and dad have been dead for a year now. Jeremy just died last week-" her voice started to shake and she burst into tears.

"Oh my god! Im sorry, I didn't know..." I said.

I pulled her in for another hug and managed to ignore the scent of her blood.

"It's fine," she sniffled and pulled away.

She wiped her tears and abruptly changed the subject.

"So anyway, what are you doing in Mystic Falls? Did you hunt me down?" She joked, but I didn't exactly find it funny.

I remembered when we were kids playing dress up, she would always find a way to make things about her. "But look at my outfit! Isn't it pretty?" She would always say to her mom when it was time to show off our outfits.

Typical Elena, everything had to be about her. Now she was assuming I came to Mystic Falls just to see her? Why did it have to be about her? Why couldn't I just be coming to Mystic Falls because I was turned into a vampire--ugh--against my will and almost killed my father and now the coven of vampires who turned me were chasing me? Jeez.

I grimaced as I contemplated my answer to her question.

"Um, no..I just needed to get away.." I said.

I wasn't exactly lying.

"Get away? What happened?"

Yikes. How would I explain this?

"Um..well, Charlie and I haven't been doing so good financially. Actually, we lost the house and we're living on the streets. We go into a really bad argument the other day and he hit me. I just can't be around him again after that."

That was enough for now. If push came to shove, I would tell her everything, including the Cullens, but for now that was all I could say.

"What? Why didn't you guys say anything? You could've stayed at my place,"

"Well, we couldn't. For some reason, Charlie and I didn't talk to family too much. And we'd been out of touch with you and the other Gilberts for so long, it just didn't seem right to ask for a favor."

"Oh my god...and it's cold there isn't it? I'm so sorry you have to live like this..." she said. "You're not going back to Forks, are you?"

I shook my head violently. There was no way I was going back to Forks and it wasn't even because of the Cullens. But if I did go back to Forks and Charlie was still there...

"Well why don't you stay at my place?"

"Really? I don't know, I don't want to bother you or anything..."

"No, really. It's fine. I can take care of you better than Charlie could and we could get to know each other better after such a huge communication gap."

"Wow, okay. Sure I guess."

"Great! I'll drive my car and you can follow me with yours."

"Oh well this isn't actually my car. I stole it."

"Ooh you're bad! Well then ditch it and get in mine."

I followed her down the street to her brown Porsche and we hopped inside.

I was expecting the destination to be the quaint little house that Elena lived in when we were younger, but I was wrong. Instead, we pulled in front of a large boarding house. If it was just her living on her own now, then how the hell did she afford a house like this? It had to have at least 13 bedrooms.

But I was even more shocked as I watched Elena walk right into the house with ease, but when I tried to take one step over the threshold, I fell face first into an invisible wall. I put my hand up against this wall, and my hand hit it. What was going on? Just when I thought things couldn't get any stranger...

Then I looked up and Elena was staring at me genuine horror in her eyes. She almost looked as scared as Charlie had when he saw me peering over him in the alleyway.

"Oh my god!" She yelled and backed away from the door.

"What, Elena?" A male's voice called.

Just then, two strange pale men came racing to the door from behind Elena.

"What?" I said, my voice breaking.

I took a few clumsy steps back and marched towards the doorway again, only to be hit once again by the invisible wall.

"She's one of us..." The man with the dark black hair said.