"Auntie," I said, drawing a breath. "Are you really here?"

Zelda drew a drag of her cigarette, studying me hard. "Obviously not Sabrina. I am clearly astral projecting." She waved her arm. "Do you have any idea the trouble you could have caused today?"

"I was only protecting Bella, you-"

"What you did was irresponsible, selfish, and dangerous, young lady." She cut me off. "If you continue to make such choices I will come to Forks and bring you home."

My eyes began to sting. "She could have died!"

"And that is not for you to intervene. We are witches, we are not Satan or the False-God. It is out of our limits to wield such power on mortals, and so openly! You would risk exposure to save a mortal girl you have only known for a couple of weeks!" She walked towards me, each word packing another emotional punch. "Do not forget that you are here at the mercy of myself and the allowance of Father Blackwood. You will also do well to remember your magic is a gift."

She left me without saying anything more. There was no sense in telling her that I was not alone in saving Bella. There was no reason why she knew of the accident either. Tremors went through my body as I fought back tears. She rarely so much as scolded me growing up, but now that I had left home, I could see why she would no longer reserve her previous softness. However, I did not know how cruel Zelda could be until now.

I wracked my mind at how to release these emotions. It felt like there was no one I could call. I ran through my mental list. Bella- no, in school. Ambrose- no, he probably agrees with Zelda. Hilda- no, she wouldn't have the heart to also reprimand me. Angela- no, too complicated. Roz, Harvey, Theo- all no's, haven't spoken to them since I left Greendale. Alice- no, didn't have her number. Nick- maybe. Maybe, just maybe, he would pick up. No- it would be unfair to him.

There was no one to call and nowhere to go. In this pain, for the first time in my life, I knew I was alone. Releasing a shuddering breath, I curled in bed, shut my eyes, and let a dreamless sleep comfort me.

((( )))

I felt a weight on my left side of the bed. I wasn't quick to wake up to it. If it was Zelda, back again, I would rather pretend to not be conscious.

"'Brina," Bella said in a soft voice. "Are you okay?"

I rolled over to look at her "Hey," I said, my voice cracking. "You don't have to sit on the edge of the bed. You can lay down."

"Have you been crying?" She asked in a worried tone. As she crawled into the bed, her lack of coordination got the best of her. We laid side by side, staring up at the ceiling. The last time we did this we were kids.

"Just cramps getting the best of me," The fake smile I added seemed to soothe her.

"Oh, okay."

"What did you want to ask me?" I looked at her, noticing the furrow in her brow.

"Do you," She paused, measuring her words. "Do you understand what happened today?"

"I know you are very lucky; things could have been a lot worse for you," I said solemnly.

She paused for a moment. "Yeah." This made sense to her. "What happened when Edward drove you to the hospital?"

"Oh, I prattled on about my crazy cousin, always putting herself in danger for fun." I joked, and she cracked a smile. "I was worried sick about you Bella, you're the closest thing I have to a friend here. You're also my family."

"I like him, but he acts so hot and cold towards me." She blushed, as though this was a confession.

"He's a man, isn't he?" To that I earned a real belly laugh from her. "I think he's a good guy Bella, just try not to do project Mr. Darcy onto him." She was infamous for reading older books, and she confessed that her love for mid-century fictional men left her disappointed in the last guy she had a crush on.

She sat up, smiling. It was good for my mind to know she was safe now. "I think it's time for me to go to bed." She yawned after saying this.

On her way out of my room, she tripped, catching herself with the door frame. Even Charlie could be heard laughing from the living room.

((( )))

I hadn't heard from Nick all week, and after my Aunt's visit, I assumed word traveled around the Academy of my disobedience. I noticed his absence from my life now just as much as I craved his presence when we first met. There was no sneaking off to private areas for stolen moments. I didn't have someone to support me as reliably as he did. I didn't crave romantic attention necessarily, I just missed him.

Since the accident, I noticed Cullen slowly make his way into my cousin's life. It seemed like the whole thing reassured him in some sense. His glances at her in the lunchroom no longer seemed stolen. She walked out of biology, beaming in joy. I knew this was because they had a good conversation during that time. She was no longer sighing all the time. It was as though she didn't feel constricted by the thoughts in her head and could measure a full breath in and out. It was amazing to see in another person what the beginning of romance does to you. I had only experienced this once, never seeing it for myself.

Bella had a rough time in her biology class on Thursday, and I took the opportunity to sneak out of school, using the excuse of looking after my cousin. Between Mike and Edward fighting for the chance to take care of her, I knew my absence would go unnoticed. My bet was on Edward. Not even poor Mike could stand his ground against Cullen. She didn't need me, so it was only logical to benefit from this myself. Why not take advantage of a situation that no one would follow up on?

Quickly, I made my way into the woods behind the school. Making sure no one was following me, I began running. Small breaks in the clouds brought warm sunshine to my skin. The air smelled sweet, and the feeling of the ground lapsing beneath my feet gave me a sense of euphoria.

I reached a large area with boulders significantly taller than myself. Climbing with an amount of gracefulness similar to my cousin, I began my own sort of emotional release.

"I LEFT EVERYONE I LOVED BEHIND BECAUSE I WAS SCARED OF HURTING THEM!" I screamed into the woods. I paused a few moments as if waiting for my evergreen surroundings to respond.

Drawing a deep breath, I continued. "I FEEL LIKE THERE'S NO ONE I CAN TALK TO ANYMORE! I CAN'T LET ANYONE IN BECAUSE EVERYONE WHO I HAVE HAS FORSAKEN ME! I FEEL LIKE I DESERVE TO BE ALONE BECAUSE MY CHOICES ALWAYS HURT SOMEONE!"

I was gasping for air, and as I slid down the boulder, I felt a sense of relief. This sort of scream therapy did its trick. Calm enveloped me like a hug. If the trees were listening, I wouldn't care. I'm sure the woods of Forks, Washington had been made witness to much worse things than the antics of a lonely teenage witch. I laughed at myself then. It would be my luck that this saturated environment would be working against me.

The walk back to the parking lot seemed quicker than it had felt running away from it. Before exiting the woods, I checked to make sure the parking lot was busy. No one would notice me as long as I moved quickly. At least I hoped.

As my feet hit the pavement, a certain dark-haired pixie approached me, gliding with ease.

"Hey Sabrina," Alice smiled at me. "Edward took Bella home already in his car. She didn't feel well with the blood-typing lab in class today."

"Ah," I said. I assumed because the truck was still here that she was too. "So you've been put in charge of bringing the little cousin home."

"And I am happy to do so! With Ed drooling over your sister, we haven't had much girl time, have we?" She laughed. It literally sounded the way you would expect shimmer to. She nudged my shoulder gently, but the cold sensation of skin contact surprised me. It was just like Edward's.

We got into the truck, and despite sitting in my normal seat, it felt different with her there. With her small frame, I worried driving the truck would be a challenge for her. I wanted to take this moment to see if our relationship could give any answers.

"Alice," I said slowly, debating changing my mind.

"Yes?" She replied right away as if she anticipated my question already.

"Are you," I paused. My heart was beating out of my chest. I didn't want to offend her. "I know Edward and I agreed to keep it a secret, but I'm sure you and your family know." I found myself pausing again, waiting for the sharp attitude I had received from her brother. "I guess I just wanted to ask, are you and your family all like Edward?" I took a deep breath out, looking at her face, scared.

"'Brina I promised him," She started, meeting my gaze. "I suppose I can tell you sort of. Not exactly the same, but yes."

I nodded, understanding the bond of families and keeping secrets. I felt sick to my stomach with this. What secret was so great that you couldn't tell a witch? Maybe she didn't realize it yet.

"But I'm not like you," I said. She didn't seem surprised by this.

Changing the subject, Alice slowed down right before we reached my house. "Just please be careful when you're in the woods, okay? It's more dangerous than you realize."

She caught me. Of course, she did. She was waiting to bring me home. I was embarrassed immediately. Her tone was serious with the warning.

"I will," I said, looking at her seriously and square in her face.

I got out of the truck, not looking back. I didn't even think to ask how she would get home. It was her second warning about being in the woods, and I wanted to take her seriously, but her lack of detail made it hard. Maybe she didn't understand what I was, what I was capable of. Or maybe she did and knew the danger was beyond me, whatever it was. I heard the hum of an overpriced vehicle approaching, and I looked up from the kitchen table to see Jasper picking her up. He didn't return my wave.

Dinner brought Charlie's enthusiasm about our outing tomorrow and Bella's even stranger mood. It was ironic how exciting us hanging out with the locals could bring such joy. But, in Charlie's mind, he was hoping we were putting down roots, giving ourselves reasons to stay here.

"Dad, do you know a place called Goat Rocks or something like that? I think it's south of Mount Rainier," She asked, feigning casualty.

"Yeah — why?" Charlie seemed unbothered by this, not looking up from his meal.

She shrugged. "Some kids were talking about camping there."

"It's not a very good place for camping." He sounded surprised. "Too many bears. Most people go there during the hunting season."

"Oh," She murmured. "Maybe I got the name wrong." I could see the gears turning in her head. She seemed frustrated by Charlie's answer.

I looked at her then, wondering what in hell's hooves had her panties in a twist about a mountain.

((( )))

Bella was awake early on Saturday morning. I could hear her down in the kitchen cooking something. She wasn't exactly being quiet. Sitting up and stretching, I noticed the bright streaming light from my window. It was sunny in Forks! Not just a little brightness, but a genuinely cloudless day! It was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didn't seem to be as close as it should be, but it was definitely the sun. Clouds ringed the horizon, but a large patch of blue was visible in the middle. I lingered by the window as long as I could, afraid that if I left the sunlight would disappear again.

In the parking lot, I recognized Mike's Suburban and Tyler's Sentra. As Bella pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with two other boys I had classes with; I was fairly sure their names were Ben and Conner. Jess was there, flanked by Angela and Lauren. I began to think of them as their version of the Wicked Sisters. They were only mortal girls, but I knew they could be just as cruel. Three other girls stood with them, and I had no idea who they were. There was one who gave me a dirty look as I got out of the truck and whispered something to Lauren.

Lauren shook out her cornsilk hair and eyed my cousin and me scornfully.

So, it was going to be one of those days.

At least Mike seemed happy with our presence.

"You came!" he called to Bella, delighted. "And I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?"

"I told you I was coming," Bella reminded him.

"We're just waiting for Lee and Samantha… unless you invited someone," Mike added. He was so obvious.

"Nope," Bella said. "Just me and Sabrina."

Mike looked satisfied.

"Will you ride in my car? It's that or Lee's mom's minivan."

"Sure." She said. I was a background character here. I regretted accepting this invitation and letting my cousin guilt me into coming.

"You can have shotgun," he promised her, forgetting me. I could see Jessica glowering at their interaction now. I wish I could shake her.

It was only fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way and the wide Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. Bella managed to wedge Jess in between Mike and herself in the front seat of the Suburban. This was a sly trick of her. Mike could have been more graceful about it, but Jess seemed appeased. I was glad I had the window seat, despite being squished into it, next to two people I didn't know. We'd rolled the windows down — the Suburban was a bit claustrophobic with nine people in it — and I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible.

We picked our way down to the beach, Mike leading the group to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like this before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with black ashes. Eric and the boy I thought was named Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders.

After a half-hour of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. I caught the horror in Bella's face as she weighed her options against her lack of coordination. Lauren was the one who made Bella's decision easier. Most of the other girls, besides Angela and Jessica, decided to stay on the beach as well. I opted to stay on the beach, walking away from them while my traitor of a cousin left me behind. Mike gave her a huge smile when he saw that she was coming.

First Beach was beautiful, it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The round of the rolling tide was calming. The scent of the water relaxed my previous social anxiety. I was okay with walking this alone. I knew the groups of girls back there would be talking about Bella's little cousin being a loner, but my presence would not be missed. I wish I had brought a camera today to capture this scene. It wasn't likely that I was going to be invited back by the group.

I noticed a group of boys heading in the direction towards our miniature camp. I assumed they were from the nearby reservation. At first, I was worried our presence offended them. Each walked with a sense of ownership. Of course, they did. We were on their land, and the silly mortals were probably ruining something sacred.

One boy made his way towards me. "Hey!" He called to me, his voice bright and cheery.

"I'm sorry," I said immediately. "I hope I didn't walk too far. I just wanted to see more of the beach."

He laughed at me, a rich sound. "No worries, we're pretty used to having to share with people like you." His gaze did a once over at me. "I'm Jacob Black, you're Isabella Swan's cousin, right?" I groaned slightly. She was popular everywhere.

"Yeah. Sort of second or third cousins, but I moved in with her and Charlie a while ago."

"Your cousin bought my dad's truck," He said. We started walking back toward the fire pit now.

I smiled at him. "I love that thing so much. It's a beast." This earned me another one of his wide smiles.

"I was so relieved when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"Maybe you'll build me a car for Charlie to buy," I joked.

"You don't have a car?" He asked me.

"I don't drive," I replied with a smile. He seemed excited by this, having another project.

We continued to walk in the same direction as his friends, towards the townie's campfire. The fire was roaring and food was being made. It was a cozy scene, especially with the newcomers. Their presence seemed welcome. Or maybe this was a common occurrence. Come to the beach, expect the boys from the reservation to show up. If they were all like Jacob, I could understand why someone would want them around. He seemed like a really good guy.

Like Harvey, I thought to myself. Before everything went wrong.

"You know Sabrina, Jacob?" Lauren asked — in what I imagined was an insolent tone — from across the fire.

"We just met, but I've known Bella since we were kids." He replied with a grin. He thought this was a prize. Bella blushed as he sat down next to her, and I think Mike choked on the bite of food he was eating.

"How nice." She didn't sound like she thought it was nice at all, and her pale, fishy eyes narrowed.

"Bella," she again, turning to my cousin, "I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didn't anyone think to invite them?" Her expression of concern was unconvincing.

"You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" the tall, older boy asked before Bella could even open her mouth. He was really closer to a man than a boy, and his voice was very deep.

"Yes, do you know them?" she asked condescendingly, turning halfway toward him.

"The Cullens don't come here," he said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring her question. Tyler, trying to win back her attention, asked Lauren's opinion on a CD he held. She was distracted.

I stared at the deep-voiced boy, taken aback, but he was looking away toward the dark forest behind us. He'd said that the Cullens didn't come here, but his tone had implied something more — that they weren't allowed; they were prohibited. His attitude left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success.

"Do you want to walk down the beach with me?" Bella asked, peering under her eyelashes at the young boy. He seemed enamored by this, happy to oblige her request. I didn't understand why she was doing this.

I sat back, resting my head on the log. I'm sure everyone else just thought I was either tired or weird. The sun was slowly setting. I could hear the booming sound of laughter around me, and the shrill exchanges of Jessica and Lauren. What in Satan's name would they do if they couldn't gossip? The more I focused on the rolling tide, the easier it was to tune into my cousin's voice. It wasn't astral projection, but I wasn't exactly meditating either.

"Werewolves have enemies?" Bella's voice was thick, trying to pull more information out of the poor kid.

"Only one." I could hear Jacob saying, with a lighthearted tone.

"So you see," He started. "the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did — they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces."

"If they weren't dangerous, then why…?"

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist." His voice sounded menacing like he didn't quite believe what he was saying.

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

"So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great grandfather met?" She was bad at faking casualty here.

"No." He paused dramatically. "They are the same ones."

What the absolute fuck. My mind was spinning. It made so much sense. Yet, they were unlike the tales I had heard of vampires before. They were supposed to be extinct. Not living a normal life and going to high school. Why would you go to high school if you were immortal? Once was completely enough for me. And werewolves? I didn't even know they still existed. Bella wasn't safe here. I wasn't safe here, alone, without a coven. I couldn't believe the one guy she took an interest in would be the one thing I didn't know how to protect her from.

I sat up, opened my eyes. I was hoping it was a dream. I knew when I didn't see either of them around the fire it was true.

The pair returned minutes later, and I begged my cousin to meet my eyes. She didn't look too frazzled. Maybe she didn't believe them. Humans weren't too keen on respecting folklore to be truthful. I prayed to Satan she would drop this, move home, and never think about Edward Cullen again.

I started to walk towards them, only getting a few seconds before Mike reached them, with Jessica still a few paces back. I could see his eyes appraising Jacob and looking satisfied at his obvious youth.

"Where have you been?" he asked, though the answer was right in front of him. I was about to ask the same.

"Jacob was just telling me some local stories," She said. "It was really interesting."

They were grinning at each other,

"Well," Mike paused, carefully reassessing the situation as he watched our camaraderie. "We're packing up — it looks like it's going to rain soon."

We all looked up at the glowering sky. It certainly did look like rain.

"Okay." She walked to my side. "We're coming."

"It was nice to see you again," Jacob said, and I could tell he was taunting Mike just a bit.

"It really was. Next time Charlie comes down to see Billy, we'll come, too," She promised.

His grin stretched across his face. "That would be cool."

"And thanks," She added earnestly.

I took a breath. "Nice meeting you Jacob," I said.

We couldn't get far away from the beach as quickly as I liked. Bella seemed to be satisfied, while I was rethinking every single fact I knew about vampires and werewolves. It was beginning to get ridiculous how I could never escape magic. It was also just stupefying the amount of bad luck my cousin had.

I couldn't leave Forks until she did. I thought to myself. She won't survive it.