Keeps Oxygen

Summary: Graduation has been known to separate people. But this? This is a little extreme.

Disclaimer:

One shoe
Two shoe
Don't own
Don't sue

Chapter 2: Pride

"-terrible, fire everywhere-"

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.

"Birdie, Birdie, Birdie..."

"It's been near 5 years, Alice. She has to move on eventually."

"Is it really so wrong that I find beauty in humanity?"

"I must've graduated at least 15 times, and the robes never get any less itchy."

Carmen slipped her hands off of Esme's arm and spun around, a smug grin dancing across her face.

"Now, was that really so hard?" She asked innocently.

I could feel my blood run cold. I knew there had been something off about her. Why hadn't I the nerve to say anything?

"Carmen, what are you doing?" I could hear Rosalie ask darkly behind me.

A horrid smirk replaced her smile. "Oh, nothing, really. Just taking something into my own hands." She began to circle us like a hawk, hands clasped behind her back. I followed her with my eyes until she fell out of my line of vision. After that, I had to try and follow her with my ears. "You see, I am very big on loyalty, you Cullens should know that by now! You should also know, when someone I am loyal to is harmed in any way, shape and/or form, I get very, very angry." She paused for a moment to take an unnecessary breath. "I'm just glad I re-composed myself before the guests arrived. Carlisle just wouldn't see reason."

Carlisle.

Carlisle.

Esme voiced my thoughts. "Where is my husband, Carmen?" Esme growled. I was stunned. I had never heard Esme growl before.

"Esme, sweetheart, be a dear and refrain from interrupting me when I'm trying to-"

"What did you do with my husband!?" Esme shrieked. I shut my eyes, but not in time to avoid seeing my surrogate mother being slapped hard across the face. Echos of rage rupted around me, and I could feel tears well up in my eyes. My heart was pounding exclamations of fear, and I wanted nothing more than for it to beat silent.

I took several deep breaths to try and steady myself, then opened my eyes. I wasn't expecting to see Carmen's face inches aways from mine, yet sure enough, there she was. I gasped, and tears slipped out of my eyes.

"Aww," She cooed mockingly, "Is baby gel fwightened of the big, bad vampire?" She clucked her tongue and shook her head. Carmen ran her fingers through my hair, delicately at first, then more sharply across my scalp.

"Leave her, Carmen," Edward growled besides me. What I wouldn't give to know what he was thinking - what he was hearing.

Carmen straightened up, glaring at Edward. "Thank you, Edward, for keeping me on track." She said flatly as she wandered to the front.

"Now, where was I? Oh, yes - loyalty. You see, loyalty is very important to me. Anothing important to me? I feel that a relationship between two people, be they vampire, human, fish, whatever, is sacred. When a relationship is violently cut short by a third party. . . Well, that's where issues arise.

"You see, it all goes back. . . oh, about a year ago? A disturbance was going on down here, and after all was said and done, a vampire arrived on our doorsteps: our dear friend Laurent."

Goosebumps flew up my arms as memories of that day in the meadow flooded my mind. "He told us of the goings on down here - we heard about James, and about his tracking of dear Isabella; We were told about how his mate was doing his dirty work in Forks while James perused through Arizona. Now, I didn't give a lot of thought to the situation at the time - our clan wasn't being directly involved, and who were we to refuse someone who wished to changer their lifestyle? - but then a change of events occured, and I just couldn't stay a spectator.

Eventually word spread back that James had been destroyed, and by Cullen hands, no less. At first I figured, 'Wonderful! Nothing should get in the way of what these two have,' however..." she trailed off, a dark tone came through in her voice.

"Shortly after you all left Denali this spring, I had a visit from a dear relative of mine who had perviously been assumed dead. I'm sure you remember my dear cousin Victoria?"

This was sick. A sick nightmare, a sick joke, I told myself, trying to breathe. This couldn't be real. This wasn't real.

Carmen was beaming. "Isn't irony lovely!? The vampire you are (or were, should I say) trying to destroy is one of my nearest and dearest!" She let out a humourless laugh. "Isn't it funny how things can work out sometimes?"

"Hilarious Carmen, really witty," Rosalie snapped. I started, having forgotten about the others. "Will you get through your little glory rant and get to the point already!?"

I could practically hear Carmen's eyes darken. "You, my dear rose, will be the first to go if you don't shut up!"

Her voice then switched to a sickly sweet tone. "You're right, though - the point. The point is, you Cullens haven't been as good as you put on to be. The point is, I do not appreciate being lied to."

She paused, then to Victoria, asked, "So sorry for ignoring you dear. Has our little issue been taken care of?"

The redhead of my nightmares nodded. "It was very easy; I had no struggle from him. It seemed he knew what was coming." She droned in a monotonous voice. A pit formed in my stomach, and in my heart I knew that the 'him' they spoke of was indeed Carlisle.

"Good," Carmen purred. Her voice took on a more formal tone. "That means we'll have to work a bit quicker. I should've expected good behaviour from the good doctor."

Carmen sauntered over to me, and again purred, "After all, what's better than a dead Cullen?"

With that, she lunged at me.

I closed my eyes, and prayed for the end to be quick.

But it wasn't.