A/N:Thanks for reviewing and supporting!I'm sorry about my previous threat and here's the next chapter.Yes,it's short.But I'll have the next chapter up real quick so don't worry.I just thought the ending part was nice enough to make into a sort-of cliffhanger.Anyway,just remember that I want reviews!Oh,and if you haven't seen Pirates Of The Caribbean 3,I urge you to see it!It's so...nice.I love it!!! - MissMei92

THE TALE OF ELIZABETH CULLEN

"Elizabeth?" The nagging voice tried to distract me. I wouldn't let it. "Elizabeth…?" The voice was persisting. I shrugged it away, almost angrily. I was frozen, electrified by the sight before me. He walked to the teacher and whispered his name: Colin Brent. How I could hear from where I was, considering the fact that he was speaking so softly, didn't surprise me. I was far too shocked for anything else to even compare at that particular second.

"Elizabeth Cullen!" The voice was angry beyond belief now. I snapped out of my reverie and looked for the source of the voice. It was Seraphina, her face mad but slightly worried. Only then did I realize that the rest of the class was already seated and everyone had turned their heads in my direction. My face went hot, hotter than it'd ever been. And he was staring, long and hard at me, and not in a very friendly manner, either. I sat straight down on my seat, my head bent downwards to avoid his gaze.

"Elizabeth, what was that about?" She questioned, hushed under her breath.

I shook my still-bent head. "It's nothing."

The blood was starting to rush to my head, dizzying me. I looked up, finally. He had sat down, as well. But his gaze was still hard on me, his honey-colored eyes unreadable. I flinched away from it and tried to concentrate on what Miss Taylor was talking about. She was introducing him.

"Class, this is Colin Brent. He's from London. I hope you all will welcome him here with open arms." Count on Miss Taylor to over-dramatize everything. She was really old, after all. But not as old as Principal Gregory, I guess.

She then launched into a lecture concerning letter-writing. I knew Seraphina's study habits hadn't changed. She still kept her attention solely on the teacher, despite the fact that she had already learned everything beforehand. She should have been in the gifted program, concerning her abilities. I sighed and did a quick sweep of the classroom.

Natasha wasn't glaring at me for once, today. That I was grateful for. But she seemed to be watching Colin with slightly more interest than she should have been. I wasn't about to look back at him, so I kept my head looking straight forward. The hour was passing by slower than usual. I gave up trying to be interested and started my doodling. This helped. The time sped up faster and I decided to look up once again. He wasn't staring anymore.

How could he have been? Nobody stares that long! Silly girl. I chided to myself silently. But short bursts of thought began running through my head as my mind started to connect the dots. Colin had golden eyes. He had the pale skin and the dark circles beneath, rimming his eyes. He also was way more attractive for his age than he should have been, which would have been creepy. If I hadn't been mesmerized with how perfect he looked.

It was different, I realized. To see someone else outside my family, besides Susan, who looked absolutely breathtaking. Then I had a sudden flash of understanding beam into my mind. He was the same age as me. Now, I felt both pity and sorrow for him too. If he was a vampire, he'd never grow up. He'd be an eight-year old, forever.

I was suddenly overcome by a strange sense of longing. I wanted to know why he was a vampire. How could any vampire have been cruel enough to condemn a child to a vampirism existence? It was unfair. It was an injustice. I looked back towards him and saw that his eyes were upon me once again, causing me to do a too swift movement to avoid his stare.I fell off my chair.

The whole class heard my fall. And started laughing like the little gigglers they were. But I wasn't flushed this time. I pulled myself to my feet and apologized, so silently I wasn't sure she heard, to Miss Taylor. She slowly nodded at me but I think she knew why I'd fallen. She turned her head in the Colin's direction, expectantly. But he didn't answer. Not a word. He kept his eyes on the floor at all costs. Which somehow made me relax, even if it was only slightly.

"What's wrong with you, today?" Seraphina queried, for once letting her focus waver. I looked at her, surprise apparent on my face. She was frowning, and not a very happy one either. I didn't know what to say, that could appease her obviously unhappy look. I stared blankly, mumbling "Huh?" She shook her head, dissatisfied with me. The clock finally struck 12. It was time for lunch.

I collapsed on my desk, relief engulfing my tiny frame as I exhaled and inhaled softly, from not having been breathing properly the past few hours. Seraphina patted my back gently. She didn't understand but she wasn't going to pester me on what was making me a much, more worse klutz than usual. I wasn't eating that day. I was far too exhausted from trying to play hide-and-seek with him. But it looked like the cat was ready to pounce on the mouse.

"Elizabeth Cullen, I presume?" I heard a heavily accented English voice pronounce my name so fluently, as though he was made to say it. I wouldn't look up. I was far too stubborn. I kept my face pressed to the glass, quiet. I was just praying, wishing, hoping he'd leave!

I heard a low, bored sigh. "I'm sorry about just now, but I really need to talk to you." He was sincere. Or was he?

"Why?" My head jerked up. I shot an as-angry-as-I-could-muster look at him. He didn't get surprised or flinch or anything like that. He was blank.

I asked again, "Why do you want to talk to me?" I was trying to stare him down, but it's hard to do that when you feel like unnaturally laughing.

I bit my lip as he said, "Please, just for a few minutes…" He directed a meaningful look at Seraphina, "…in private." He seemed to stare at Seraphina really, really hard. I turned to see her.

She was frightened. I squeezed her hand under the table. "Everything's fine. Go." I mouthed to her, intending for her to leave and go to the cafeteria. But he had other plans.

"Let's go outside, shall we?" He raised his eyebrows at me. I glared once at him, looked at Seraphina's worried face, hoping I could calm her, and then followed him out. He led me down the staircase nearby, past 2 hallways and then into a secluded spot, just next to a stairway landing. A stairway which only the janitors used.

I was feeling more, and more scared as each moment passed. I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask why he didn't just get it over with outside the classroom. A sudden thought occurred to me. If he was a vampire, he'd be strong enough to hurt me. And I'd have no way of escaping. I slapped my hand, trying to keep the lurching fear in the pit of my stomach away.

He finally stopped, turning around to face me. He was serious and undecipherable in his expression. "Okay, so?" I kept my voice calm and under control.

"I'm not a vampire, if you were wondering." He said, nonchalantly.

I gaped at him. This wasn't what I was expecting. "Wh…What? How…?" I blinked at him. If he wasn't a vampire, why did he look like one? I had that question on the tip of my tongue, but it wasn't coming off.

He smirked. "Hmm…how do I start this…?" He pondered for awhile, pacing from left to right while I just looked on, petrified.

"Why don't you sit?" He beckoned me to sit on the nearby steps of the stairway which led to the upstairs floor. I did, somewhat robotically. He finally spoke again.

"Elizabeth," He scrutinized me a little more than he should have, "Did you hear me when I first said my name to Miss Taylor just now? In a whisper? All the way from where you were standing, there at the back of the class?" His golden eyes bored into mine, nearly touching my soul and leaving me feeling incoherent.

"I…did." I looked down. I didn't understand the meaning of it all. None of it at all.

"I'm not a vampire…but I am half of one. Or 1/3 of one, you could say," He scrunched up his stunning, pale face in thoughtfulness.

Wait. Did he just say he was half of a vampire? That was not possible. Vampires could not have children, much less with humans. And you were either a vampire or not. There was no half. No half-transformation. I narrowed my eyes at him, my fear turning into suspicion and disbelief. "There's NO possible way you are half of a vampire!" I practically screamed at him, my voice shrill and angry from hearing this outrageous lie.

He suddenly became nervous with fear and ran over to me, trying desperately to shush me, to keep me quiet. I knew what he was afraid of. Discovery of his secret. And while I knew I had to keep the secret I was entrusted with, I suddenly felt over-compelled to scream. I had no idea what it was that overcame me.

I just kept on yelling questions and incredulities so loudly at him that I was incredibly sure that someone would hear us soon enough. I wasn't afraid. I was hysterical. And then it happened. He figured that 'that' would have been the best way to keep me quiet, but he didn't realize what he was about to do meant a lot more to girls than he thought it did.Most girls can't say much about their first kiss. But I could. His lips touched mine and then I stopped thinking, and felt like the world was perfect, for just one long, eternal moment.