Scottie's first sense to become "enriched" was her sense of smell. The first time she breathed through her nose after the change, she passed out-- even after saying she was "definitely" okay. So much for that. Any idea why? If not, you'll find out this chapter. For the next couple of chapters, she's going to be experiencing more of these changes... And the true "bad-guy" of the story comes in REEEEEEAL soon. O.o

Don't forget to R&R... Or I'll stop writing.

Oh yeah-- I don't own Krispy Kreme, Burger King, McDonald's, The Used, or Linkin Park ... or Elwood Cookies, Steven King, or Comeback Kid. (however, if I did, it'd be pretty cool...and I'd be filthy freakin rich... and I'd buy Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart: everyone's favorite places for all things cheap and plastic.)

OH, and I believe I will begin each chapter with a non-sensical (I think that's how you spell it) paragraph, followed by the song I am currently listening to and a quote (in some cases, a very LONG quote...) from it, and at the end, I will name the song (along with a quote) that is playing as I finish up. I. Am. Brilliant. Muchos gracias. .

Atreyu - You Eclipsed By Me: "I will not be broken, though I am the one that bleeds. I will not be broken. I am. The one."

Chapter Seven-- Blindsighted

When I finally awoke, I couldn't quite figure out where I was. I sat up and looked around, then realized I was lying on my bed. I looked over at the clock on my stereo. It read 11:36 PM. I started to sit up, but hesitated; I had a terrible headache. My head felt like it must've weighed about 30 pounds. I forced myself upright and sighed, wondering why I felt as though I'd forgotten something very important.

"I wondered if you'd ever wake."

I jumped up, lost my balance, and fell in the floor.

Edward was on the other side of my room, sitting in my swiveling desk chair, laughing. "Beautiful." He said.

I gave him a slightly dirty look and sat up on my knees. "What are you doing here?"

He sat forward a little and responded, "You say that like you're disappointed."

"Well, I guess I just wasn't expecting it..."

"Does this mean you're NOT disappointed?"

I thought about it for a second. It was kind of strange how I went from being absolutely terrified and not wanting to have him anywhere near me, to viewing him as a friend and wanting him near me... and still somewhat terrified of him. It wasn't necessarily him that I was terrified of, but of what he was capable of doing.

"No..." I answered. "I suppose not."

He smiled, pausing for a moment. "...How are you feeling?"

I didn't understand what he meant. "What are you talking about?"

"You really don't remember?" He looked at me, concerned. "You came over after school and we sat out on my porch and talked with Alice, Jasper, and Emmett, then you weren't feeling well and you got a nose bleed."

The memory flooded back to me. "OH...That... Yes, well... NOW I remember."

He sat back again and smiled, shaking his head at me. "When your nose stopped bleeding, you said were fine, then passed out. I carried you inside and told Esme and Carlisle what had happened, and that I was going to take you home. So I put you in your car, drove you home, put you in your bed... and here we are."

"And... you're still here?"

"Well, of course."

"Why didn't you just leave? What if Vivian had come home and seen you here? She'd have flipped out and called the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Homeland Security, the E.R., and Krispy Kreme!"

Edward looked at me as though I was the most bizarre thing he'd ever seen. "...Krispy Kreme?"

"Viv loves Krispy Kreme. She says their eclaires help calm her nerves."

Edward raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "That's...amusing."

I yawned, then stretched out on the soft carpet.

"So, why DID you pass out? Or do you even know?"

The truth was, I did know. But I wasn't about to tell HIM. So I said, "No clue. I just felt dizzy."

He smirked. "That's 50/50."

"What do you mean?" I knew I couldn't lie to him. He was a mind reader, and he knew what I was thinking. But I would NOT confess. I would keep every bit of dignity I still possessed... even though there was very little.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken."

"I'm afraid YOU'RE mistaken, MISS." He stood up, smirking. " That's only half the truth. I'm offering you the chance to just spill it ALL..."

"I have nothing more to say on the subject." I propped my head up using my elbows as I looked up at him.

"Last chance." He threatened, walking slowly toward me.

"I said, I have nothing more to say."

"Why must you lie to me, Scottie? You know I know what you're thinking, so why hide it?"

"Why say what someone already knows?" I challenged.

"...Fitting rebuttal." He smiled, walking around me.

Why he was prying so hard, I didn't understand. The reason I had passed out was because of his scent. It was the first time I had experienced the full extent of it. It was incredibly sweet; like if you go to Burger King or McDonald's and get their sweet tea-- It's WAY too sweet. Sometimes they put so much sugar in it, it makes you feel like you're going to choke. His scent made me dizzy,causing me to lose conscienceness. I could smell him from where I was lying, however it wasn't as strong as the first time.

He crouched next to me, as close as he could without standing on me. I breathed in, and my eyes went slightly out of focus.

"Sooo... Why did you get all dizzy?"

"Burger King..."

"What?"

"Sweet...tea..." I giggled. Is this what being stoned feels like? I couldn't concentrate. My chin slipped, causing my face to smash into the carpet. "Oh. I mean... Ow..."

Edward laughed. "WELL..."

"Why?"

"What?" He sounded confused.

"WHEN?"

"...Oh. Where?" He caught on to my little... game, I guess you could call it.

"Who?"

"How?"

"Cow." I pointed to his knee.

"Okay. That's quite enough." He lifted me to my feet with ease, then held onto my shoulders, making sure I wouldn't fall over. "Are you going to be all disoriented every time I'm near you? Because if so, I may have to stay away, for YOUR safety."

"No, I'm fine. Just, a little O.D.ed... It'll take a bit of getting used to, I guess."

He pushed me back to my bed and sat me down. "Well, now I know you're okay... at least, there seems to be no MAJOR issue... So... I guess I'll be going. Your mother will be home soon."

"Oh... okay... Thanks, Edward..."

"You're wecome." He slid my feet onto the bed, then crossed the room to my door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

He shut the door quietly behind him.

The next day, I woke up around 10:00 AM. I laid in bed, thinking about the day before. I sighed, then caught the scent of the coffee downstairs. I guessed that Vivian left some for me. I finally forced myself out of bed around 10:33, and looked in the mirror. I was a mess. My black hair was straight as usual, yet there were obvious signs of bed head. I had laid in bed for a while after Edward left me, but maybe ten minutes after, I had changed into my bed clothes. They consisted of a pair of cotton shorts that had the The Used heart on the front of the right leg, and a Linkin Park t-shirt... which were both wrinkled, of course. I scratched my head and walked downstairs. I jumped off the last stair and then headed for the kitchen, spotting a piece of paper in front of the coffee pot.

"Good Morning, Scottie! I hope you slept well. As you can see, I'm off to work, and I left you some fresh coffee in the pot. It's yours for the taking if you're interested. I have a spot of bad news... I've been called on to do a presentation in L.A., Cali. See, I was supposed to be the back up incase Michelle Moores got sick and - low and behold - she picked today to catch pneumonia! So... I'll have to get a hotel room and spend the night tonight, become familiar with the material tomorrow, attend a long board meeting Monday, then present later that evening, and fly back home Tuesday and go to work, and I'll be home when I'm done (which will be around the normal time, which will be around 2:00 AM Wednesday). The good news is, I won't have to go into work until noon on Wednesday, and I'll be home around 9:00 that evening. I'm so sorry, Scottie! I know I've been meaning to spend time with you, and I had so much planned for Sunday, but now that might as well be flushed down the commode. I'd have offered to take you, but you'd have to miss school. I hope you'll forgive me, and if you need anything, call my cell phone. I'll see you Wednesday!

I love you!

--Vivian McEvoycell: 876-744-8138"

I looked at the coffee pot with sudden disinterest. I realized I suddenly had no interest in anything. My eyes started to water. NOT because of Vivian. But because they burned. I rubbed them, which gave me relief, and walked over to the couch. I stared at it for a minute, then walked to the kitchen again.

I grabbed the last green apple from the crisper in the refridgerator and took a large bite out of it, then I stared at it. For some reason, I felt as though the apple had spoken to me.

What?

Put me back. It said. Put me back, please?

Uhhh...

Please?

I was a little too hungry to even consider it. Nope. Sorry, pal. I started to take a bite when it let out a high pitch squeal. I flinched and looked at the apple in disbelief. What the hell is the matter with you?

Please put me back?

No. N-O. Do you know what that means?

I'll tell you what it means. It means... uh... It means I'm going to eat you. I started to take a bite again when suddenly, a face appeared on the apple. I jumped, a little more freaked out than before.

PUT ME DOWN. Its voice was evil and demonic-sounding. I subconsciencely heard someone knock on the door. PUT-ME-DOWN. It said again. I continued to stare at the apple, in a daze.

Then, it clicked. I understood. You're Satan, aren't you?

NO. IF I WERE SATAN, I'D BE A RED APPLE, DUMBASS.

"Scottie?"

I turned and looked at Edward, who came through the door. I looked from him to the apple, then to him and back down again.

"Are you feeling okay?"

I rubbed my eyes with my free hand. They were beginning to burn badly, as though I'd accidentally used pepper juice instead of eyedrops. I wiped the tears and looked at the apple again.

"What in the world are you doing?"

"He called me a dumbass...I'm not a dumbass. I'm not stupid..." I said, still dazed.

"SCOTTIE."

"I'm NOT stupid."

"SCOTTIE."

"I'm NOT."

"SCOTTIE."

"I'M NOT."

"SCOTTIE!"

I snapped back to reality. I looked up to see Edward standing in my kitchen.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" He asked, a sort of smile on his face.

I looked down at my hand. I was holding Vivian's letter. I set it on the counter and looked at Edward.

"I was... daydreaming... about a green apple I was eating. I think it was Satan."

Edward surpressed his laughter and shook his head. "You are a piece of work..." He said.

"I know." I remembered I was in my bed clothes. "AH! EDWARD!"

"What did I do?"

"I'm kinda, like, not dressed!"

"You think I'm looking at what you're wearing?"

"Well - I - ..." I stomped my foot. "I don't know!!"

He shook his head again, scratching his chin. "No, I'm not."

"It doesn't matter. I still look crappy." I rubbed my eyes again.

"Not really. You just look tired."

"...ANYWAY. Did you need something, or...?"

"Nothing really, I just came to check on you; see what you had planned for the day."

I handed him Vivian's letter. "Nothing."

He read it and handed it back to me, and I put it in the trash.

"Wow... four days?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I just came to see you. I guess I'll talk to you later." He started for the door.

"Edward, wait."

He turned back to me. I felt kind of stupid, like I did when I called Carlisle and Esme back earlier in the week. I wanted him to stay, and he knew it. So, then why was he leaving? I knew why: because he wanted to hear me SAY it. I decided to allow him the pleasure - just this once. I couldn't make a habit of letting him have his way.

"Do you want to stay here for a while?" I wiped my eyes again. One reason I wanted him to stay was because I had a bad feeling... I felt as though there was a reason for my eyes burning... a werewolf-related reason. The second reason was because I suddenly didn't feel very safe. I knew if he were there with me, I WOULD be safe. He smiled.

"Sure, why not?"

To some point, I wasn't sure why he'd decided to stay. I didn't know if it was because he knew I was worried, or if he simply wanted to.

"Both." He said.

"What?" Then I knew; he'd read my mind.

He smiled. "Your eyes are bloodshot."

"They are?" I knew what was coming...

"Come on..." He swept me off my feet and made his way up the stairs and to my room. "We don't need you passing out again." He teased. He set me on the bed and then sat at the foot, across from me. I felt myself breaking into a cold sweat as my eyesight began to get fuzzy and dark, and the area arond them ached.

"What a rip-off. I thought my eyesight was going to get BETTER." I said.

Edward laughed and said, "What's happening?"

"I can't see..." Within seconds, everything was black. I looked up at where I remembered him being, and there was a white oval. "Oh, wait... I think... I think I see you... Move to the side or something."

He moved forward, and the white oval pulsed. "What is it?"

"Everything is black, but I see a white oval sort of shape, like light. And when I look away from you, it moves out of my sight. The light is you!" I was amused, even though I was in pain.

"You should see what I'm seeing..." He whispered.

"What's happening?"

"Well, your upper eyelids are fading to a light red color, like you smeared red shimmery blush across them, to the crease. It's not a vivid red, but it's not really pale. It's also spreading to your lower lids, but it's a thinner line; you have to be looking for it to see it... Oh... now the area below the red on your lower lids is getting darker, like you haven't had any sleep. It's not sagging, but it's certainly getting dark, like bruises... like the red, it's not REALLY dark, but it's not just barely there... your eyelashes got a little longer... and... your irises are glowing."

"There's a green ring around the white oval..." I said.

"...Does it hurt?"

"Yes..."

"I'm sorry..."

"It's not YOUR fault." I sighed.

Atreyu - Bleeding Mascara: "A wraith with an angel's body. A demon with a smile of gold. You soul sucker, I won't become like you. A killer with the perfect weapons. Crystal eyes with a heart of coal. You soul sucker, I won't lose myself in you."