The Great Pretender

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of the owner, Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story contains issues of rape. If you are sensitive to these issues, please do not read any further. You have been warned. Chapter 1 – Saved

Chapter 4 – Frozen

I, Isabella Swan, am a great pretender.

I know you're probably thinking, 'yeah you've already told us that, Bella', but at this point, I think the statement deserves to be repeated.

I'll tell you why.

See, I am great at pretending that everything is ok and normal, when in actuality, my whole world and everything I thought I knew about it has been turned on its head.

You want me to get more specific? Ok. You asked for it.

Right now, at this very moment, I am reclining on a mound of fluffy pillows, a glass of sparkling white grape juice in one hand and a delicious chocolate covered strawberry in the other. My beautiful, spiky-haired best friend is lying at my feet on a similar mound of pillows, quickly and diligently painting my recently clipped and buffed toenails a vibrant, shimmering royal blue. We are laughing and joking and talking about our favorite romantic movies and the heartthrobs that starred in them. We are gossiping about the latest celebrity scandal and making plans for the approaching summer. We are happy and carefree and reveling in our femininity.

I bet you're wondering where the pretending comes in.

Where it starts right about…here.

I am pretending that I've known Alice for years and not just the measly six hours that it's actually been. I'm so good at pretending this, that it actually feels true. I feel like I've known her forever.

I am also pretending that I am staying over at Alice's house for our weekly, parent-approved sleepover. It's a much better to pretend that this is a wonderful routine than to face the truth; that there are no parents around to approve this, for either of us, and that the only reason I'm staying over is because I am a homeless runaway. Yeah, I'll take the first option, please.

Now, I think those two fantasies are pretty good, if I do say so myself, but I could hardly be considered a great pretender based on them alone.

Oh no, my wonderful pretending talents must be attributed to this doozy.

I am pretending that Alice is my best friend in the whole world, that she loves being around me and that we will never allow any of our differences to come between us. I almost believe it. It feels like it's the truth, even now as I think it.

But the freezing touch on my foot is the needle that injects the truth every time I convince myself that this friendship could last.

See that's the funny thing about being a great pretender; the fantasy only last as long as it takes for the truth to intrude upon it. No matter how good my imagination is, the truth cannot and will not be denied.

And the truth that is staring me in the face right now is entirely clear, yet so complicated that it gives me a headache to think about it.

Right now, Alice is my only friend in the world and I truly believe, with time, that she could possibly love being around me. I know I already love being around her.

But there is no way on gods green earth that we can stop our differences from coming between us.

This is not about the fact that Alice is rich and beautiful and I am destitute, battered and bruised.

And it has nothing to do with the fact that Alice has a large family that loves her and gives her sports cars as gifts while I, Bella Swan, have no family left except for a raping, murdering stepfather that took my virginity and gave me a black eye and split lip for graduation.

No, this is about the fact that I am human and my idea of the perfect meal is my mom's spaghetti with meatballs.

And the fact that Alice is immortal and her idea of the perfect meal is my blood.

Yeah, I know. In light of my current position, that takes the idea of playing with your food to a whole other level, doesn't it?

I know its harsh to see it that way after Alice has been so nice to me, but look at it from my perspective.

If I was starving and hadn't eaten in god knows how long, my first inclination would not be to jump on Alice and bite her throat. At the very least, I'd jump on her and beg her to take me to the nearest fast-food joint so I could gorge myself on a greasy, delicious, burger with fries.

But knowing what I do, could I honestly believe that Alice would have the same instincts if she too were starving? If Alice were blind with hunger and one of my wounds opened up in front of her, could she really stop herself from jumping me and drinking for all she was worth, no matter how much she cared about my life?

I didn't know the answer to that question with any certainty, but I did know this; I trusted Alice. Her friendship is saving me, keeping me from falling into a black pool of self-disgust and despair.

And if having her as my friend means that I am risking my life, so be it, because I'd rather have her as my friend and risk death than to live in this world without having her in my life.

Maybe my judgment is faulty but I cannot believe it is wrong despite the fact that, to come to this conclusion took only six hours and one conversation with a vibrant, beautiful, energetic, loving Vampire.

Four hours earlier…

"I don't think I understand what you're asking, Bella."

I stared at her, bewildered by her sudden evasiveness. It was obvious by her tone that she knew exactly what I meant. What was she hiding?

"What I am asking, Alice, is for you to tell me why I just watched your brother eat a bear through your eyes."

Alice's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure that's what you saw, Bella?"

I shot up from my seat. "Yes! I know what I saw! Your huge curly haired brother wrestled with a bear then bit its neck like it was a freaking steak! I'm only a seventeen-year-old runaway, but I know that humans don't wrestle bears and eat them! And other humans don't sit by and watch a bear get eaten by a human like its …entertainment! Now since I did see that happen, there is only one logical conclusion. You…are…not…human!"

Alice smiled. "No…I'm not."

I opened my mouth to argue further before I realized she had admitted to my accusation. "You…oh…uh…so what exactly are you?"

Alice's eyes went blank for a second, and then she looked at me, her eyes imploring. "Bella…my family and I are vampires."

I was a statue, frozen and unmoving. The word ran through my head on a loop, echoing through my stunned brain, but it wasn't quite computing. I tried to reconcile what I knew about vampires with the small girl standing in front of me.

Vampires only went out at night, but Alice had gone with me to the Lodge during the day. Sure it was late day, but the sky was still well lit.

Vampires slept in coffins and had vicious fangs, but this house…it was filled with beds and though Alice's teeth did look pretty sharp, they were straight and pearly white without a fang in sight.

And vampires drank blood. Human blood.

But I had spent hours with Alice and she hadn't gone for my neck once.

It was all so fantastical, so unbelievable, but strangely, I didn't doubt her words. They made so much sense. It explained so much. I wanted to laugh and brush her story off as just that; a story, but I knew it wasn't. And lets face it, I couldn't possibly think that vampires were fictional characters when I'd been having weird, memory-visions since I set foot in this house.

I looked at Alice's anxious face and blew out a hard breath. "Wow. That's …uh…wow. Ok. Vampires."

I took in another breath. "So…uh…you drink…blood?"

Alice nodded. "Yes. Not human blood, though, so don't worry. We drink animal blood. It helps us to be more normal."

I nodded, still overwhelmed. "But…you could…if you wanted to. Drink human blood?"

She nodded, but scrunched up her nose in a disgusted sneer. "We could, its almost instinctive, in a way, but we chose not to. All of our reasons are different but the overall concept is the same; we don't want to be monsters. We just want to be happy. And we have been, for the most part. Well…at least most of us have been."

I nodded, not totally understanding, but trying hard to. "Right. Well, you don't look or act like a monster, that's for sure. I knew there was something about you, something off, but It didn't make me want to run away screaming, clutching my throat or anything." I paused. "So where are your fangs? Do they only come out when you're getting ready to…uh…you know…have… dinner?

Alice's smile grew slowly and a delighted laugh poured out from deep within her belly.

"No, Bella! That's just a myth, I promise. We don't have fangs. Our teeth are sharp enough. And we don't sleep in coffins, either."

I nodded quickly. "Oh, I know that much. They beds on the second floor kind of gave that away."

She shook her head sharply. "No, I don't think you get it Bella. We don't sleep…at all. The beds are mostly for show…and other…activities."

Her words sank in and I blushed hard. Despite my embarrassment, I was intrigued. No sleep? God that sounded like heaven. With the dreams I'd been having, no sleep sounded like a cool glass of water on a hot summer's day. What must it be like, to not have to sleep or rest? To just keep going and going without needing to catch a few winks?

I sat back down on the heavily. "Wow, Alice. This is just…so…unbelievable. Wow. So, uh, seeing the future. Is that a vampire thing?"

She laughed and walked around the coffee table to sit next to me. "Nope. It's an Alice thing. Other vampires have powers too, though. My Jazzy can feel and even manipulate the emotions of others. And Edward…he can read minds. Its actually another one of the reasons he's so withdrawn and prefers to be alone. Can you imagine hearing the every thought of everyone you meet, vampire and human? I'd absolutely die, if I could die!"

I jumped in before she could say more. "Wait…you can't die? Ever?"

She hedged a bit. "Well…technically, we can die, but it's quite hard to kill us if you're not another vampire. We have to be dismembered and burned. Otherwise, we just stay the same, unchanged, forever, however long that is."

I shook my head in disbelief and ran a hand down my face, wincing when it hit my swollen eye.

Alice noticed my discomfort and her face became concerned. "Are you ok, Bella? Your eye, is it bothering you?"

I waved off her concern, hoping she wouldn't ask my how I got the dark purple bruise that ringed my eye socket. So far, she'd stayed silent about my battered appearance. "Yes...no…I mean, I forgot for a second and rubbed it, but its fine. I'm just so clumsy…you know…"

She nodded but her face showed she wasn't convinced. "Ok…well do you want me to get you something for it? I don't think we have any ice, but I'm sure I could find something…"

"No!" I grabbed her forearm as she went to turn away then recoiled in shock.

Her skin was cold. Ice cold. Like she should be dead and in a morgue cold.

And it was so hard, Hard and pulsing with restrained strength.

"Shit, Alice! You're freezing!" I stared at her in shock and she smiled sardonically.

"Yeah, I know. That is definitely a vampire thing. No pulse, no heartbeat, no tears. No blood, which is why we have to drink it. It's not all bad though. We're strong and fast and we don't get sick. Our senses are stronger too, so we can hear better, see better that humans. Here, watch this."

Alice suddenly disappeared and less that a second later, she was back next to me, my backpack hanging from her elegant pinky finger. I gapped at her in astonishment.

At that moment, it was absolutely real for me. Alice and her family were vampires. Freaking immortals. She would be forever strong and beautiful. She could go through life without fear and insecurity. She could never be hurt like I was.

"Alice! How did you get like this?"

She shrugged, somewhat sadly. "I don't really know. I can't really remember what my life was like before this. But I have a pretty good idea. The only way to become a vampire is to be injected with vampire venom. I've heard it is a painful process from my family, but I personally don't remember much about it."

I thought about that. "Painful. Like…how painful?"

She suddenly got very serious. "I can't even put that kind of pain into words. Lets just say that it's more pain than you'd want to inflict on anyone, friend or enemy, which is one reasons why there aren't that many vampires.

I blanched and shuddered, then my thoughts focused on her words. "One of the reasons?"

Over the next few hours, Alice changed my entire worldview. She told me about the Vampire leaders, the Volturi and how they were the primary enforcers of the one rule all vampires must follow; keep the secret. She explained their various powers and abilities and how they used them to eradicate any and all threats to their secretive existence. I was simultaneously fascinated and frightened. What had I stumbled into? This world of supernatural creatures with the ability to cause you unimaginable pain was not one I belonged in. I was weak and frail and would stand no chance again the red-eyed, human drinking vampires that Alice described.

After Alice had explained about the Volturi, I'd decided that I'd heard enough for the moment. Alice immediately suggested that we give each other manicures, jumping to the task with an enthusiasm that felt misplaced in light of all she had told me. I hid my discomfort and helped her gather the supplies for our 'girls' night.

I woke up the next morning feeling like I hadn't gotten any rest at all. My dreams were nearly debilitating, switching between me, alone in a cold dark room being spooned by a hot, clammy body that made my flesh crawl and me, alone in a large white, empty house, the silence nearly crippling. I knew by the look on Alice's face as she hustled me into the kitchen to eat the breakfast she'd cooked that she wasn't going to go another day without asking about my past. I could see it in her eyes as she watched me eat my eggs. Her gaze lingered over my bruises almost calculatingly. The moment I put the last forkful in my mouth, she pounced.

"Bella, we've become good friends…right?"

I swallowed and nodded, knowing where she was going with this but not understanding her methods.

She sighed. "And you trust me…right?"

I nodded emphatically. "Yes, Alice I trust you. I have since I met you."

She crossed her arms over her chest, her face determined. "Then why haven't you told me what you're running from? I know you are. Everything about you screams that you're running scared. And the bruises on you, they tell me you have good reason to."

I put my head down, trying to hide my sudden tears. "I guess…I guess I just didn't want you to feel sorry for me. And…I want to…forget."

She sighed. "Bella, you have to talk about what's going on with you. You have to trust someone." She hesitated. "Is it an ex boyfriend or something?"

I snorted. "I wish. I've…never had a boyfriend. It kind of never came up, you know." She nodded and I glanced at her before looking down at my plate, twirling my fork between my fingers. "My mom died and…I just couldn't stay with my stepfather anymore. I…I wanted to start new, in a place where I knew my parents were once happy."

She was quiet for long moments and I looked back up at her. The look on her face was fierce, vampire fierce, and I knew she had figured it out. "He hurt you, didn't he? He put those bruises on your face."

I raised my chin, hating the pitying look on her face. "He hit me because I looked like her and then he…you know… for the same reason."

Alice gasped then jumped up to hug me. Her cold embrace comforted me, but somehow felt a little incomplete. It was like her hug was meant for someone else. She pulled back after my silent tears stopped and she looked at me seriously, her eyes flashing. "You never, ever have to go back there, Bella. You'll always have a place with my family and me if you want it. I promise you."

I nodded, feeling relieved. I guess a small part of me was afraid that Alice would go back to her eternal, glamorous life and I'd be left with no one. Again.

After quickly rinsing the dishes, Alice and I began the daunting task of opening up the house. I approached the task with dread, knowing that everything I touched could potentially trigger one of the unsettling memory-visions. We managed to get most of the downstairs furniture uncovered and dusted before I had one. I was assigned the task of uncovering the misshapen lump in the living room that I had wondered about before. As I pulled the sturdy sheet from it, I gasped.

It was a beautiful harp. I gaped at the beautiful, elegant instrument In astonishment. The strings were so delicate and the curving bow gleamed in the late morning sunlight. I reached out a tentative hand and ran them gently across the strings.

The vision was swift this time.

I was sitting on a low stool behind the harp and pale, well-manicured hands were swiftly and lightly plucking the strings, producing a haunting melody. The light shining through the glass wall glinted off of a huge diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand. Pale, golden hair tumbled down my chest almost to my waist, pooling in my lap and shimmering in the muted sunlight. Suddenly, a piano melody joined the delicate notes of the harp, blending perfectly into the most beautiful music I'd ever heard. The room jerked slightly and I was staring at an exquisite sight.

A man was sitting at a shiny black piano, his bronze hair looking almost red in the sunlight. His broad shoulders were slumped slightly as he curled towards the piano, his fingers flying over the keys.

I couldn't see his face, but there was so much emotion and yearning in the way he played, his posture practically radiating passion.

The music got softer, finally ending with a shared note between the harp and piano. The man turned around on the bench and the slight smile on his face took my breath away. He was beautiful, his deep butterscotch glinting in the sunlight like jewels. Then he opened his perfect lips and spoke.

"They are going to love it, Rose."

I felt myself stand and a soft, elegant voice came out of me. "They'd better."

The vision ended sharply and I gasped.

Alice was at my side in the next second. "What is it, Bella? What did you see?"

I shook my head, trying to clear that perfect smile and its effect on me from my thoughts. "I saw your brother…uh…Edward. He and Rosalie were playing the most beautiful song together, her on the harp and him on the piano. It was…wow." I know my voice sounded awed, but I couldn't help it. There was just so much love in that scene. I could still feel it running through me. It was incredible.

Alice looked thoughtful. "That must have been the time Rosalie and Edward composed that song for Carlisle and Esme for their anniversary. That was the one and only time they'd ever composed something together; they could never manage to get along long enough to do it again."

I was only half listening to her. My thoughts were still on Edward. He was amazing, so passionate. God, what I wouldn't give to see him smile at me like that.

Whoa, where had that thought come from? I shook my head resolutely.

I couldn't let myself think like that. He was a vampire for shits sake. The only thing he'd want to do to me is bite me. Besides, I'm hardly the type that guys smile at. A guy like Edward, beautiful, talented and immortal, he'd never go for someone like me. I was plain, unlucky and unlovable.

But I could pretend, right? I could pretend that that smile was for me. I could make-believe that someone that perfect could think I was beautiful and that all of that passion that he poured into that beautiful instrument was focused on me. As I imagined it, my breath caught in my throat.

"Bella, are you ok? Did something else happen in the vision?" Alice's eyes were speculative, taking in my flushed, bright-red face with interest.

I shook my head. "No…no, I'm fine, it's just…nothing." I hesitated. "Edward…uh, you said he could read minds?"

She nodded. "Yes. It's a pain in the ass most of the time, having someone know your every thought, but we try not to give him a hard time about it since we know it bothers him more than it aggravates us. He's kind of a know it all, though." She rolled her eyes and I blanched a bit.

A part of me hoped to never meet Edward. I couldn't stand him knowing my thoughts, especially the ones about him. I looked at Alice apprehensively. "He's not coming here soon, is he?"

Alice 's eyes glazed over for a second then she smiled at me. "Nope. He's happily hunting and visiting with some friends in the Amazon. His decisions are solely focused only on what game he wants to hunt before moving on further south."

I sighed, partly in relief and partly in disappointment. I wondered what he was like. What kinds of books did he read? What were his interests other than music? When I found myself wondering what his touch would feel like, I stopped myself.

No Bella, don't think like that. His touch will be cold, ice cold, because he's a vampire.

A blood-sucking vampire.

Alice grabbed my wrist and her cold touch brought the point home like nothing else could. "Come on, Bella, let's get the upstairs now." She led me towards the stairs and I followed blindly, my thoughts still swirling. Alice suddenly ground to a halt and I crashed into her back before stumbling back and catching myself.

"Geez, Alice, human here! I can't stop on a dime like you…give me some warning!"

Alice didn't seem to hear me so I walked around to face her. Her glazed eyes blinked rapidly before clearing. She liked at me with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

I stepped back. "What Alice? What did you see? You're scaring me."

Alice gave me a sheepish smile. "I know I told you Edward's not coming here anytime soon, and that's still true. But…"

I wrung my hands together nervously. "But what, Alice?"

She put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "The rest of my family. They're coming here to join me."

I sucked in a breath and immediately started looking around for places to hide. "Alice, when? I need to get out of here, I now you said they'd understand, but I don't believe they will!"

Alice shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Bella. They'll be here in two minutes. They were doing so good, hiding it from me, but the minute Carlisle made the decision to turn onto the drive, I got the vision."

I stared at her exasperated and watched as she turned and headed towards the door. I fidgeted nervously, wondering if I could possibly make a run for it. I could cut through the woods and head back towards the cemetery. It was daytime so I wouldn't be as scared and I was confident I could find my way. My thoughts were broken by the sound of a car door slamming and a booming voice drifted into the house.

"Pixie! What's up? You're surprised to see us, right? We kept it from you good, didn't we?"

I heard Alice's bell-like laughter. "Emmett, you hid it for a while, but I did eventually see. You know I can't be caught off guard!"

I backed slowly towards the stairs, looking wildly around for and escape route. Just as I was about to make a beeline towards the garage, a huge, hulking man jogged into the living room, a huge flat screen television cradled under his arm as if in weighed nothing. I knew immediately that it was Emmett. He face and curls were unmistakable. He stopped short as my heel hit the bottom tread of the stairs and his eyes widened.

"Uh, Alice, why is there a human in our living room?"

An elegant hand slapped him on the back of the head before a statuesque blond stepped around him. "Emmett, stop joking around…and put down that television." She tossed her heir then her gaze snapped to mine, her eyes narrowing and her stance becoming as still as a statue.

I stared at her wide eyed as her face turned fierce and angry.

"Who are you and what are you doing in our house."

I opened my mouth but the words stalled as Alice flitted into the house, three more figures behind her. They all stopped short next to Emmett and Rosalie as Alice skipped to my side.

Grinning, she grasped my hand and pulled my slightly forward. "Guys, this is Bella! She's going be my best friend!"

They all gasped and I gave a halfhearted wave, feeling faint under their intimidating gazes.

A regal-looking man with blond hair stepped forward, his gaze switching between Alice and me with fascination. "Alice…does she…"

Alice interrupted with a broad smile. "Bella knows everything about what we are. She would have known whether I told her or not, trust me."

Carlisle looked at me, stunned and another blond man stepped forward, his eyes narrowed.

"Alice, sweetheart, as fascinating as it is to hear that Bella knows we are vampires, there is something I want to know more right now."

Alice looked dazed for a moment before realization filled her eyes and she swung her stunned gaze towards me.

I looked at her with a growing sense of dread. "Alice, what is it?"

She let go of my hand and placed her frigid hands on my shoulders.

"They want to know why you don't smell human."

Thank you for Reading.

-Kreative