Up To The Surface

A/N: wow, I got a lot of reviews! I really appreciate them! Thanks to all of you!

P.S. I am looking for a committed beta/editor/etc. the last erm… three I've had have "disappeared" so please, I need someone who will actually edit, and keep editing till the stories finished, or until I no longer need editing. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE PEOPLE! I'm using the first person who asks! So better do it fast!

Thank you….Tristan

May 23rd 2007.

I spent the past three weeks observing people. How they lived and their way of life. I caught on very quickly.

The fashions fads was how you had to get around in this world. I realized If you didn't have money, you were good as dead.

If you had no money, you were worthless. I felt like I was in an alternate universe. This place just seemed so surreal.

I was afraid. I was very afraid. Imagine living in a new world, and new century!

I felt like I was slowly breaking.

Of course I composed myself. I looked out at the pond that was in front of me. I felt this nagging in my body. I wanted to jump in.

I resisted the urge. I would dirty my new clothes(that I had slyly stolen, and don't think will ever do again.).

Silently sighing, I shuffled through the mass greenery.

Ahhh… Washington was such a quaint state. At least most of the parts from what I've seen.

It seems so much more different then I remember it. Sighing, I wringed my fingers.

A sudden noise brought me up to my senses. Oh crap.

"Hello?" I brought up the courage to speak up.

A figure began to emerge from all of the vegetation.

"Hello" a husky, and seemingly pleasant voice said. My eyes moved around vigorously, meeting with a pair of topaz eyes.

They seemed familiar, the eyes, but not the face. What a disappointment. I looked at him more closely. He had brown hair, muscular body and about 6 feet 1 inch height. I couldn't deny that he was attractive.

"Am I hunting on your ground?"

"Um…no." I said uneasily. He was a vampire, obviously by his eyes, and the fact you could not hear his heart beat.

"Newbie huh?" He asked with a smile.

"Newbie?"

"As in new…" He said as if it was obvious. He didn't know how "new" all this was.

"Oh, um, yeah." I said, I could imagine the blush glowing on my cheeks(but I obviously have no blood in my system, so no blushing.).

"I'm Tristan."

"Isabella, but you can call me Bella." I said quietly, as he shook my hand.

"So… You don't belong to a clan right now?" he asked me casually, looking around to see if I was with any one.

"No. I'm quiet confused right now, and don't really know what a clan is either.…" I said aggravated.

"Confused?" he asked right after I said confused.

"I'm not from this century."

"Well most vampires aren't. I was born in 1897."

"I don't mean it like that. I was born in 1901. I was just…" I trailed off, looking at my hands.

"Just..?"

I took in a large breath.

"I was Frozen so to speak. So I have no idea how things work around here. I don't even know if America is still a country right now!" I said, exasperated. It felt good getting off this off my chest.

"How about we head back to my house and I'll explain everything to you? I'm pretty informed." He said with a charming smile, and winked at me.

"Thank you, you have no idea how…..perplexed I've been ." I ran my hand through my hair, then smiled at him gratefully.

"Your welcome."

He lead me through a path way and we ended up at a very nice quaint home. Two stories, and from the looks of it, very modern.

"Wow" I breathed, as we entered his home.

"This must have cost a fortune! Does your clan live with you?"

"It didn't cost as much as people think. As for my clan… I left them for a little vacation. Their somewhere in Alaska right now, they are coming back in July to visit."

I nodded my head and walked right behind him.

We entered a rather large kitchen, but by the looks of it, it hasn't been touched in ages. He motioned me to sit down as he broke down each year I had missed.

……………..

By the time he had finished up to the year 2006,I don't think I was more awe struck then ever before in my life.

The titanic sunk, world war I, world war II, the great depression, ending slavery, new presidents, the twin towers, and oh so much more!

I didn't realize I had missed out on that much!

I sat in the chair, biting my lower lip, wringing my hands.

"That much?" I asked Tristan. He nodded solemnly.

I buried my face in my hands, and sighed.

"Don't worry, at least your up to date now." he comforted me. A small smile appeared on my face.

"Thanks again." I stood up.

"I think I'd better go now. Thank you for your hospitality." I thanked him sincerely.

"You don't live with a clan right now, you can join the one I'm with right now."

"I don't want to intrude-"

"There is no intrusion, I must insist."

I bit my lower lip in hesitation.

"My family wont mind." he added. I let out a breath.

"Ok." He smiled.

"Do you mind if I ask you who your family is?"

"Well, I was hoping to keep it a secret. I think It'd be easier if you found out for your self. I'm not telling my family either. It's a surprise."

I quirked a eyebrow and looked at him with a skeptical expression.

"Don't worry, their not mean or anything. Actually I believe the only mean person is a Ro-never mind." he ended hastily, trying to cover up the information he had almost slipped.

I chuckled quietly as he led me upstairs to my future room. We ran up the stair's and soon were in front of a door within a millisecond.

He turned the knob, and revealed a pale blue room. A desk in the corner with a very sleek machinery on top of it.

"What is that?" I pointed toward the machine like thing.

He began to laugh, sharing a inside joke with himself. I stared at him, expectantly.

"It's a computer."

"And a computer is a….?"

"It's a machine where you can find information, put pictures, talk to your friend and etcetera."

I don't remember when I left his side but the next thing I knew was that I was poking at the "computer". I found myself looking quite idiotic.

I heard Tristan laughing, falling onto the useless bed. I lifted the lid of the computer looking at the blank, black screen.

Their were buttons with letters, and other symbols. It looked like a type writer, except more advanced.

"I'll teach you how to use it next time." he laughed. I glared at him, and looked around the room.

That was when I saw it. It was a large mirror, and it was then I glanced at myself. A loud gasp left my throat before I could control myself.

I stood in front of the mirror taking in my appearance. That wasn't me, I didn't look like that.

My body had grown curves that I had never had, my already albino skin looked like it had turned paler, my hair was shinier, and my lips fuller.

But that wasn't what caught my attention. I found myself staring into a pair of blood red eyes. I swallowed hard, and touched the surface of the mirror, looking at the girl, with troubled eyes, and that girl was me.

Oh my god.

I turned to Tristan who was leaning on the doorframe watching me.

"Do I really look like that?" I squeaked. He snorted.

"Of course you look like that." he smiled.

I cover my mouth, trying to hide the smiled on my lips.

"But.. that is not me!" I refused to believe this. I did not look this… gorgeous.

"Accept what you will, but that is you." he smiled and motioned for me to follow him.

He showed me around the house and we were now seated in front of his BMW 650i. I think I was in love with this car.

It was a convertible, a very shiny black convertible, that goes very fast. Now who wouldn't love that?

I sat next to him, in the passenger seat. Obviously I couldn't drive. I watched him put in the key into the ignition, as the car roared silently into life.

He stepped on the gas and we were now speeding over 160 miles per hour. The feeling was exhilarating, but it wasn't as fast as I ran.

We stopped at the stop light as I began to ask about him.

"How old were you when you were changed?"

"19."

"I see. What your middle name?" I asked him out of the blue, he chuckled.

"Isaac."

"Tristan Isaac-" I stopped, not knowing what his last name was.

"Alexander."

"Tristan Isaac Alexander." I tested it out, the name rolled off my tongue. He smiled as I grinned back at him.

"And your last name Ms. Bella?" he asked playfully.

"Swan."

"Isabella swan?"

"Yup."

"I think I've heard of it. Just forgot where…" he shrugged it off, and parked in front of a large building.

"Where are we?"

"Local high school."

"Oh." I breathed.

"This is the current school I go to."

"But your 19..er…"

"Well not technically."

I looked at him questionably.

"The younger I look, I can stay at any given place a longer time. Seeing as that we never age. So I'm 1 currently '16' "

"Ok."

I felt like a total imbecile beside him.

"Why are we here?"

"To get you registered."

"Ok…" then it hit me. "wait what?"

"You've never had a proper education have you?"

"No."
"And high school provides this." I felt overwhelmed.

He got out of the car, and before I knew it, he was opening the door helping me out. What a gentlemen!

We walked toward the school, me being absolutely terrified as I was held onto Tristan's hand. He squeezed my hand reassuringly.

My god, I felt like such a child. He stopped suddenly, and turned to look at me. He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to me.

"What is this for?" I asked him.

"Its supposed to be extremely cold right now. And if someone see's that your only wearing a camisole, people are going to be suspicious." I nodded and pulled it on.

We stood in front of the school until something suddenly dawned on him.

"Oh my god." he said in deep thought.

"What?"

"Don't you feel like attacking somebody?"

"What!?"

"You're a new vampire, you supposed to be going ravenous right about now."

"I find human blood repulsive."

He stared at me as if I grew another head.

"In my human life I never really liked the smell of blood, I guess I carried that trait when I was turned."

"You sure know a lot about vampirism." he muttered as we entered the school.

A plump, red headed woman sat at a desk, filing papers and typing on a computer.

"Hi, Mrs. Cope!" Tristan said cheerily, gaining the woman's full attention. Sudden awareness made her stop doing whatever she was doing.

She looked up at him then turned to me, smiling warmly.

"Why hello Tristan, who do we have here?" she asked looking at me.

"This is my cousin, I wanted to register for her today, since my parents were busy ."

"Alright, just need her to fill out this form and get one of your parents to sign this identification form." she handed him a piece of paper, handing it to me.

I quickly scrawled down my name, city, state, address, and age.

I handed her back the sheet, as she typed down the information, and nodding with approval.

Another machine beside her began to buzz, and make robotic like noises. She pulled out another piece of paper from the robot like machine, and handed it to Tristan.

"Thanks Mrs. Cope."

"Your welcome, Hope you have a nice stay here Isabella."

"Thanks." I replied back to her.

We left the building and I asked the question I had been curious about.

"What was that buzzing thing?"

He erupted into laughter as I stood their, crossing my arms and pouting.

So much to learn, so little time.

………………

A/N: I am so so so very sorry I didn't update in such a long time. If I make Bella look like a total idiot, this is not the direction I was headed for. And also if Tristan appears to be mean, he isn't he's really just a laid back guy. I hope I didn't give the story plot away, though I think I gave enough clues.

Edward will come back soon, and this is not a CLICHÉ.

Please review!