Chapter 2

CatPOV

The school was more than I expected. I expected the worst, as usual. But this place was amazing. In Texas, I had only attended community college. I couldn't justify spending all that money on simply re-learning all the things I learned in high school. I had grown so accustomed to all the apathy radiating from the other students that it soon became all I knew. It was different here. Everyone had goals, dreams, and aspirations. I felt like I was with like minds, like I was where I belonged.

Could it really be this easy? I thought to myself, daring not to hope. Can I really just start over? Despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop from feeling the warmth and security of hope enveloping me. I lingered in the feeling for a moment as I rushed back to my car. I ran over the day rapidly in my mind. All of my professors were phenomenal. People in my class seemed warm and intelligent, though I didn't dare talk to them. I kept to myself. My dad regarded it as unhealthy, but I couldn't see the harm in protecting myself.

The drive home passed by quickly as I was lost in my thoughts. When I got to my apartment, I was practically skipping up to my door. My neighbors, who I knew regarded me as some sort of recluse, were wearing my puzzled looks on their faces. I almost waved at them, but thought better.

When I opened the door, I was greeted as though I had been gone for days rather than hours. Chance ran up to me, his favorite stuffed duck in his mouth. He sat down, his tail wagging so hard I could feel it in the ground.

"Hi Chance!" I practically screamed it at him. I suddenly had a fleeting thought of my neighbors not only seeing me as a recluse, but also crazy for talking to a dog like he was my only friend. What made it worse was how accurate their thoughts would have been. I shook the thought away. "Did you miss me?"

As if he could understand me, Chance's tail wagged even harder. He followed me around the apartment, never once dropping his favorite toy. I straightened up the space a bit, but there was no need. When I was home, I never did anything but read and play with Chance. There was no familiarity etched in my living space, it seemed cold to me. I just couldn't take the risk of getting too attached. I reached my answering machine, the red light blinking ominously at me. I pressed the Play button, and sat down quietly and listened.

It was my dad. "Hey, Catherine. Sorry I missed you. I figure you're at school. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven't heard from you in a while." He paused, and then continued with thick emotion in his voice. I never saw my dad cry, not even after my mom died. It hurt me deep to hear him like that. "I miss you Cat. Things aren't the same without you here. Brad misses you, too. He wanted me to tell you hi and that he loved you…" I had to stop. I pressed the erase button quickly and deftly.

I thought of Brad, my older brother. I looked up to him so much, and we were so close. The connection between us was strengthened by how much we looked alike: same sharp gray eyes, same untamable hair, same peachy skin. It killed me that I couldn't be near the only family I had left. The pain of missing them, however, couldn't hold a candle to the pain of the memories of my old life. I was never able to get away from constant reminders of Christy, the fire, and him.

Bastard! Oh God! It felt like the pain was a wave, crashing down on me and threatening to pull me under. No, I won't go there again.

I looked at Chance, who was patiently waiting by the door. I suppose he hadn't forgotten my promise to show him the city. Silly girl, he wouldn't remember your promise. "Okay, Chance," I said as I pulled myself from the couch. "Let's see what's in Portland."

EmPOV

The day was uneventful, as is all first days of school. The classes, the professors, and the students hadn't really differed from the other countless times I've been to school. The good thing about college, though, is you have an opportunity to try new things. This time around I was going for an Architecture degree. I wanted to make myself useful in helping Esme, my mother who was obsessed with restoring homes, and this is the best way I knew how.

I met up with all my siblings at around 4:00. They were all standing around Edward's car, waiting for me. Bella and Edward were standing side-by-side, their hands entwined in each others, breathing in sync. Jasper and Alice were staring into each other's eyes as if all the secrets of the world lied in their partner's eyes. I turned my head from the personal moment. Being around them made my heart ache for Rosalie.

"Emmett," Bella began with a smile on her face. "You can have the front seat, Emmett. I won't make you sit behind Edward. It's just cruel."

My face broke in a huge smile as I ran up to my little sister and picked her up in one of my infamous bear hugs. She was so self-less and always thinking of others. I knew why Edward fell in love with her. These two martyrs were meant for each other.

"Thank you so much Bella!" She laughed and patted my shoulder with her tiny hand. By this point, I had decided to temporarily put off my revenge. I'll save it for another day.

We all piled in the car, and I was much more comfortable this time around. I moved my seat all the way back, thinking I could at least get a small bit of revenge on whoever was sitting behind me. No such luck. Alice pulled her legs up to her chest a millisecond before the seat hit her legs. It wouldn't have hurt her, but it irked me that she used her power to avoid it. I could see Edward smirking in my peripheral vision. I pouted for a second, and then remembered I would be able to see Rose in just a few short minutes. I became restless as it seemed like we were driving through a river of molasses.

We pulled up to our house. The house was very perfect. It met all of the Cullen requirements: large, beautiful, and secluded. I couldn't help myself; I ran up to the house and towards our bedroom. A shiver of disappointment went down my spine as I realized that Rose wasn't home yet. I went downstairs and sought out Esme.

Esme was in the master bathroom removing the old wallpaper. She had a look of disgust on her face with every strip she tore off. It was obvious that she did not share the prior occupant's love for the print on the wallpaper. She turned to me and smiled. "Want to help, Emmett?"

"Sure, Mom." We worked in silence for a minute. I didn't want to automatically ask her about Rose for fear that I may offend her. But she could read my mind like any mom.

"Rosalie called and said she'll be late tonight. They asked her right off the bat to stay late, since she's the new girl and all. You know she couldn't turn them down." She studied the displeasure in my face, and continued softly. "I know it's hard Emmett, but she really loves this job."

I turned to her with a weak smile in my face. "I know, Esme. It's just change, and you know how I am about change."

"I know, Emmett. You never take kindly to moving."

We worked in silence for a while longer. By the time I left the bathroom, we had stripped all the wallpaper and put on a fresh coat of paint. Esme and I walked downstairs towards the living room. Alice and Bella were lounged on the couch, reading their respective books for school. Edward was tinkling away on the piano, and Jasper was flipping through channels on the TV. When he heard us come in, he turned to me with a smile on his face. "Wanna play some Soul Caliber?"

I sighed and shook my head slowly. "I'll never understand why you are so eager to get your ass kicked." I turned to Alice for reaffirmation. She felt my gaze.

"No, I'm not going to say who wins." She looked back at her book and a devilish grin creeped slowly across her face. She added in a low voice, "I don't think the X-Box is going to make it through the night."

I stopped listening to her after she said she wouldn't tell us who would be the eventual winner. The revelation of the X-Box's future was no help. Everyone knew I was a sore loser, but Jasper was also more than capable of throwing a hissy fit.

We didn't have to wait long for the fit. Unfortunately it came from me.

"CHEATER!!" I screamed as Jasper won the 20th and last fight we would have. "I don't know how you're doing it, but I know you're cheating!" I threw my controller. It crashed into the X-Box. We could hear the fan inside slowly dying.

"Aw, Emmett. Now we have to go to town to get a new one!" Jasper look irritated.

"Well, it's your entire fault. Alice told us what would happen. You should've calmed me down before I lost it."

I didn't let him finish his thought. I immediately tackled him. Alice ran to the back door and we rolled and tumbled into the back yard. The wrestling continued well into twilight. We decided to have a temporary truce as no winner was declared.

"What time is it?" I asked, remembering the X-Box. If we didn't get a new one tonight, I would have nothing to do before Rose came home.

"It's 8:30," Alice called from inside. "We'll be able to make it to the store with a few minutes to spare."

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

CatPOV

I couldn't believe all the wonderful things you could do in the city of Portland. There were several clubs where you could enjoy all sorts of music. I passed by several that had blues, jazz, rock, and dance music pouring out from the doors. I had read about the city and knew there were plenty of museums and art showings. The culture of the city surprised me, I never had even thought of Portland as a plausible place to live before. There were even things for Chance. One of our first stops was at the neighborhood dog park. Chance loved the opportunity to run around and sniff other dogs. I stood and watched, smiling as he tried to approach other dogs. He appeared very intimidating with his large size and scarred body. A lot of the smaller dogs wanted nothing to do with him, but I don't think Chance ever realized the rejection. He was so happy to be out.

As I watched, I was startled by a voice.

"Which one is yours?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned to see a young man chuckling at me. A shot of anger rose through my body, but it completely dissipated with a flood of embarrassment. I tried to cover up my feelings with the warmest smile I could muster. I pointed at Chance. "The big yellow one."

I turned to the young man who has a strange look on his face. "What happened to him?" Was it suspicion in his face? Disgust? Horror? I couldn't put my finger on it.

"There was a fire. Chance got hurt, but he made it out."

The man was silent for a moment, so I decided to continue. "My name is Catherine." I held out my hand.

I suppose he realized his silence and looked at my hand. Finally, he shook it. "My name is Jared."

I continued to stare at him, and the look never fully left his face. Maybe he wanted a closer look? The thought of showing off my dog's scars didn't sit well with me. I looked towards Chance, and he was trotting towards me. He looked tired, and I placed down a bowl that I brought with me and poured water into it. He lapped it up loudly. I smiled, then turned back to Jared.

He was staring at Chance inquisitively. I hated that he was doing that. When Chance finished, he looked up at me, then Jared. He walked over to him with his big wet tongue hanging out of his mouth. Jared smiled and squatted so that he could pet Chance. Chance took the opportunity to sloppily lick his face.

Jared laughed, then turned to me apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said.

Realization struck me like a hammer. He thought I did this to him. I could never; Chance was my only friend. There was no way for me to fully express my anger. Jared realized how angry I was and spoke quickly.

"I work at an animal shelter. I'm sorry. You see injuries like this and you can't help but think the worst."

His explanation wasn't good enough. "I couldn't… I would never…" I was unable to form a complete sentence due to the overwhelming fury. The frustration I felt only magnified the feeling.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again. He reached towards me, as to touch me and show his sincerity. That definitely did not help.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed a little too loudly. The other people in the park turned towards us.

Jared jerked his hand back. He looked down in shame.

This was a bad idea. The sun was starting to set, and I needed to go home. I muttered something about the time, and put Chance's leash on. We quickly left the park. After we had put a little distance between ourselves and the incident, I sat on a bench. There weren't many people on the street. It was starting to get late, but I didn't pay too much attention to it. I shuddered as I replayed what happened over and over in my head. Chance lay down quietly next to the bench. He waited patiently as I collected myself. When I felt like everything would be okay, I turned to him.

"Thanks, buddy. I bet you're hungry."

He stood up quickly and wagged his tail. I smiled at his response. He wasn't the only one. My stomach grumbled as I realized I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I didn't have much to look forward to at home, just some leftovers. It was better than nothing I suppose.

I looked around and oriented myself. We were a bit of a walk from home, but it was okay. I was really enjoying myself. I had been cooped up inside my apartment ever since I had arrived here. It was nice to finally get out. We started our way home, and I promised myself I wouldn't let this isolated incident ruin my night.

EmPOV

We reached the store just in time. I ran inside, and walked directly towards the game console section. I picked up an X-Box Elite, and walked towards the cash register. After I paid, I walked towards the car. Everyone was standing around and quietly chatting amongst themselves. It was Bella and Alice I heard first.

"Please," they said in unison with the same sort of inflection. It was the voice they used to get what they wanted. I don't know why these guys even bother to resist. I could never say no to Rose, and I knew they were the same.

"I don't know," Edward said, though he had submission written all over his face.

"What's going on guys?" I asked as I opened the car door and placed my purchase inside.

"The girls want to play in the city. They're upset because they haven't been able to 'fully explore,'" Edward explained.

"We've done nothing since we've been here and I wanna go shopping!" Alice said. She reminded me of a small child, and I laughed as I pictured her stamping her foot. Edward saw it too and couldn't help but chuckle.

"I want to check out that little jazz club downtown," Bella said. I smiled at my sisters and knew that my evening was probably not going to include X-Box. They all turned to me. I guess I was going to be the tie breaker.

I sighed with resignation. "Okay, you all do what you want and I'm going to walk around the city. Meet here in an hour…"

Alice raised her eyebrow.

"… and a half?" I finished. I glanced around at all their faces. It seemed like a good idea. By the time we got home, Rose would surely be there.

"Okay!" Alice squealed as she dragged Jasper to the closest clothing store. It looked closed to me, but I knew Alice had her ways. Bella and Edward smiled at each other as they walked in the opposite direction, holding hands. I looked around. I wasn't too familiar with the area, but I was sure there was a sports bar somewhere. Maybe there was a good game on tonight.

As I walked, my thoughts were consumed by Rose. I knew it had only been a few hours since I saw her last, but I couldn't help it. I missed her when she was not around. I knew sometimes my siblings did not share the sentiment, but they were kind enough to never say anything. They knew I loved Rose more than anything. It may not be the same kind of love that they had with their mates, but it worked for Rose and I. I sighed as I thought of her hair, her eyes, her lips.

When I finally snapped out of it, I realized that I was in a deserted area near the park. I frowned, knowing I was not going in the right direction. I was just about to turn and backtrack when it hit me.

I stopped. What… was… that?

It was the most heavenly scent I had ever smelled. It was intoxicating and irresistible. My throat burned and venom filled my mouth instantly. I turned in the direction of the breeze that brought the scent towards me. It was a girl walking a dog with scars over his body. They were about 150 yards ahead of me with their backs turned towards me.

She would never know what hit her.

I knew I could close the distance quickly. I never once thought of my family as I ran towards the girl. The only images that filled my head were violent and foreign. I had never had this reaction towards a human before. I thought I was past this, that I was safe around humans. But something about this girl was different.

She could not be ignored.

I faintly heard Alice calling my name. The thought never fully rested on my brain. As I got closer, I could hear the music coming from the girl's ears. Her headphones were turned up loudly, and she would never hear my approach. The dog, however, stopped and turned towards me. With his teeth bared, he looked as though he was going to lunge at me. The girl stopped and was about to turn. So she would see it coming after all.

That's when I felt the impact. The growl in my throat was stifled by someone's hand. My crazed eyes noticed Edward as he tackled me into the park. We were blocked from the girl's vision by large, thick bushes and trees. Edward was followed closely by Bella, then Jasper and Alice. They all held me down. Alice finally stood and peered through the bushes. I could hear the dog's bark faded as the girl was scolding him.

"She's gone," she held and let out a breath.

I felt wave after wave of calm. Jasper was trying desperately to get me to compose myself. At first, I resisted. But the more I looked into their worried faces, the more I allowed myself to calm down. After a few agonizing moments, I relaxed. We all stood up silently, and walked out of the park onto the sidewalk. Edward and Jasper walked next to me, their hands gripped firmly on my arms. Edward's grip started to relax once we had a reached a good distance from the site.

I wouldn't. My thoughts reached Edward and he instantly resumed his grip. No one said anything as we reached the car and drove home. The more I was left with my thoughts, the more shameful I became. What happened to me? What caused me to snap? My thoughts briefly shot back to the scent and my overwhelming response. I saw Edward cringe next to me.

We reached the house, and I was the first to walk in. Rose was waiting for me in the living room. She stood up from the couch with a loving and excited smile. It quickly faded when she saw the strain in everyone's expression.

"What the hell happened? You guys look like someone just died"