Elena's POV: (Opening thoughts)
About four things I was absolutely positive. First... Edward was a vampire... second... Bella could never find out he is a vampire. Third... there was a part of him, and I didn't know how dominant that part might be... that thirsted for my blood... and fourth, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
Not long after I woke up this morning I heard a car honk and both Bella and I race to look outside of our front garden. Edward is there.
"So," Bella begins and I glance at her. "I guess I am driving myself to school today?"
I smile at her sheepishly. "Do you mind?"
She shakes her head no and then heads towards the shower. We have a shared agreement. I have it at night and she has it in the mornings. I got into my clothes and head downstairs to meet Edward outside.
"You better be careful," I smirk at him and he raises an eyebrow. "Carry on taking me in the mornings and my sister will resent you."
He looks like he is fighting back a laugh. "I'm sure she'll live."
We arrive at the school together and he parks up. I am shocked as everyone stares at us as we go by. Not one person is looking at something else.
"Wow!" I say to him and he continues to smirk. "You know everybody's staring."
"Not that guy," Edward says pointing a random guy out as we pass Angela and he places his arm around me. "He just looked. I'm breaking all the rules now anyway. Since I'm going to hell."
After school we head to the woods again to talk some more.
"So..," I began slowly as I want to learn as much as I can. "Does a person have to be dying to become like you?"
He shakes his head.
"No, that's just Carlisle," he tells me. "He'd never do this to someone who had another choice."
Sounds like Dr. Cullen is a great guy.
"So how long have you been like this?" I ask him wondering exactly how old he is.
"Since 1918," he informs me and I am a little shocked. "That's when Carlisle found me dying of Spanish Influenza."
"What was it like?" I ask. I imagine it could not be comfortable.
"The venom was excruciating," he says and I feel sorry for them. "But what Carlisle did was much harder. Not many of us have the restraint to do that."
What's so hard? "But didn't he just have to bite?"
"Not exactly," he tells me and I wonder what else can there be to it. "When we taste... human blood, a sort of frenzy begins and it's almost impossible to stop."
"But Carlisle did?" I ask him.
"First with me," he confirms. "And then with his wife Esme."
"So is Carlisle the real reason you don't kill people?" I ask him wanting to understand why he does not just take the easy way out.
He hesitates for a second before answering. "No, he's not the only reason. I don't want to be a monster. My family, we think of ourselves as vegetarians, right, cause we only survive on the blood of animals. But it's... it's like a human only living on Tofu. It keeps you strong, but you're never fully satisfied. It wouldn't be like drinking your blood for instance."
Let's hope he never knows what my blood tastes like. I remember something else I wanted to talk to him about. "Was it other vampires that killed Waylon?"
"Yeah," Edward confirms what I had guessed and I look down. "There are others out there, and we run into them from time to time. "
I continue with my questions.
"Can the rest of your family read people's minds like you can?" I ask wondering if vampire's reading minds is a regular thing.
"Um no that's just me," he informs and I am a little grateful at that.. very unlikely every vampire cannot hear my thoughts if it was a thing. "But Alice can see the future."
That's handy. "I bet she saw me coming."
He looks a little uncomfortable. Like she knows something she doesn't want him to.
"Alice's visions are subjective," he explains to me and I listen carefully. "I mean the future can always change."
He stands up and leaps off of the rocks before we leave together.
Saturday I am cleaning the truck as Bella has gone to Jake's and Charlie is at work. I have my headphones in but I suddenly jump as a huge crash hits the truck and I look up to see Edward has just jumped on top.
"Can you act human?" I ask him after he jumps onto the back part of my truck and I have taken my headphones out. "I mean I've got neighbors."
"I'm gonna take you to my place tomorrow," he tells me before pulling on the truck near the wheel so the dent disappears.
That was cool but... what. "Thanks. Uh, wait like with your family."
"Yeah," he nods his head at me.
Uh oh. I sigh.
"What if they don't like me?" I ask not bothered about anything else.
"So you're worried, not because you'll be in a house full of vampires," he points out and I can tell he's fighting back a laugh. "But because you think they won't approve of you?"
He laughs.
"I am glad I amuse you!" I say but the he seems to freeze and look distantly out into the roads. "What is it?"
He keeps staring but answers the question. "Complication... and Bella is home. I'll pick you up tomorrow."
He then climbs into his car and drives past the Blacks car as they bring Bella home. I wave at them as they park the car and Bella gets out first.
"Hey Sis," she says. "Everything okay?"
I nod my head but Billy does not seem amused as Jake helps him into his chair. Does he know more than his son? Does he know that the stories of his people are true?
"Hey," I say to them both. "Come to visit your truck?"
"Looks good," Jake says but his next words confuse Bella. "You got the dent out!"
"Yeah took her to a mechanic today," I say to him. "That's why you had to pick Bella up."
Bella nods but still looks suspicious. "Actually we came to visit your flat screen. First mariners game of the season. Plus Jacob here wants to spend more time with Bella."
"Great dad," Jake says causing Bella to blush and me to bite back a laugh. "Thanks."
"Just keeping it real son," Billy says and Jake and Bella head off together into the back garden as Charlie comes up behind Billy.
"Vitamin R," Charlie says as he comes over with two packs of beer in one hand each.
"Well done Chief," Billy tells him and he holds out two bags. "Harry Clearwater's homemade fish fry. Any luck on that Waylon case."
I pull a face as Charlie places the beer on Billy's knee where he had just placed the two bags of fish fry. Billy stares at me as he mentions the Waylon case.
"Well I don't think it was an animal that killed him," Charlie says and I try to keep a passive expression as Billy keeps looking at me as Charlie moves towards the stairs with his chair.
"Never thought it was," Billy says to him still looking at me as they begin to climb the steps.
"So spread the word out on the rez, huh?" Charlie asks him. "Keep the kids out of the woods."
With his next words Billy keeps his eyes on me and I know that his next words are aimed at me. "Will do. Don't want no one else getting hurt do we?"
I sigh knowing he'll be keeping an eye on me from now on.
QUEENC2020:
Hope you enjoy. Trying to finish this one within the next few days so I can get started on New moon.