I do believe that the thing that fuels my imaginination (and thus, this story) is my stereo, accompanied by my CDs. So, I would like to thank Sony and all producers of my favorite CDs. You guys are awesome... even thought you're not reading this... and never will...

Anyway... Atreyu is a good imagination builder - especially to a story like this. And I love music. Mega hearts. 3

Atreyu - The Crimson: "And all I have is hope. And all I need is time, to bury in pine under six feet of time the lies I told me about myself. Claw my way out, pick the splinters from under my fingernails. I won't lose hope, I won't give in. Just live and breathe, and try not to die again."

Chapter Nine-- Ear Candy

I went from lying on the couch to curled up in agonizing pain. My headache had decended to my ears, and I felt as though someone was feeding an electric-shock rod through one ear and out the other. I put my hands over my ears and held them tightly, wishing the pain would go away. Unfortunately, it only seemed to be making it worse. I buried my face in the the room. Edward was not there. I came to the conclusion that he had either come back and left when he found I had fallen asleep, or he had leather cushions and gritted my teeth. I eventually dozed off - for how long, I was unsure - and when I awoke, the pain was gone. At first I thought that I had been dreaming the whole thing, but then I realized my hearing had improved even more than it had before. I sat up and looked around not yet returned. I over-heared him downstairs:

"...won't be home until Wednesday night. I'm worried, now... I don't know if Malikai is after her... And she's going through these changes. That could make things even more dangerous for her. Not to mention, NOW I worry about her turning..."

I zoned out of the rest of the conversation, and listened to another voice that I happened to hear.

"...not here to ambush us. You're being really stuck-up. Scottie isn't even a complete wolf yet. The instinct to hate vampires hasn't even set in for her yet. So if we befriend her, she'll be so used to us being her companions, she won't view us as enemies. But the point is that we have to befriend her from the beginning. If we shun her, she'll become a threat. You don't want THAT, do you?..."

I realized that it was Alice. Did she really want to be "friends" or was she just pretending to so that I wouldn't grow to learn to hate vampires and then attempt to kill them? I began to feel guilty, and the feeling sank to my stomach. I rested my elbows on my knees, and my chin in my hands. Once again, I wondered how big of a mistake I had made. But at the same time, I didn't regret anything. I had built a strong bond with Edward without even meaning to. I thought that maybe he had that effect on everyone. Regardless, what would Raab think when he found out? Then, it hit me:

Raab hadn't been trying to warn me about the Cullens...

"But there are enemies in Forks. Ones that you and I understand about..."

That's it! I thought. He was talking about Malikai!

I wondered if Raab even knew about the Cullens. Then I became a little less enthusiastic. He said enemies. Plural. Was he including the Cullens in that, too? I hoped not. I turned from my personal thoughts to another conversation I heard.

"...can't have it. It drives him crazy."

"Not only that but it's dangerous."

"Well, think about it. In a way, it's not. Look at the progress he's already made."

"...True, true..."

"I think it's a great idea. Think of the possibilities."

"Once again, true."

"I talked to Rosalie a minute ago. She's actually gonna make an effort to be nice to Scottie."

"That's good. What'd you bribe her with?"

"Nothing!... So... I'll talk to Edward later. He's going back upstairs to check on her again. Last time he went up there, she was curled up on the couch with her face smashed in between the cushions."

After thinking on the voices, I figured up that the first voice was Alice, and the second was Emmett.

Edward cracked open the door and peeked in. I looked up at him.

"Sleep well?" He asked.

"No. It was more the result of extreme agonizing pain."

"Oh... Well, how long have you been awake?"

"About 10 minutes. How long had I been asleep?"

"About 15 minutes. What happened?"

"My ears... they upgraded, I guess we could call it. That has to be the fastest yet most painful one yet."

"So... your sense of smell, sight, and hearing has upgraded. I wonder how your sense of taste and touch improves."

"I bet my tongue falls off and my skin melts." I raised and eyebrow.

Edward laughed and said, "I hope not!"

"What if it did?"

"...I'd put you in the freezer to stop your skin from melting, and...I'd let you live without your tongue; less for me to listen to."

"Hey!"

He laughed again, then shook his head. He sighed, then said, "Well... I need to talk to you."

"Okay... What did I do this time?"

"Nothing... I'm just worried about you... Scottie, I don't want you to go home yet. It's not safe. Malikai could be watching you, and it he were to attack you, I wouldn't be able to get to you in time. Then I... I don't know what I'd do."

"So... what are you saying?"

"I want you to stay here."

"What?" I was shocked.

"Yeah. You'll be safe here.

"Well, yeah, no doubt. But... here?"

"Would you rather I stay with you?" He offered.

"Well, I..." I thought about it. "Yes, actually."

"I was just kidding, but..."

"No, really. There's this cot I could pull out. It doesn't sound very comfortable but I can fix it up so-"

"That won't be necessary; I can't sleep."

"Oh... vampire thing...?"

"Yeah..."

"Well... still..."

"If you'd feel more comfortable in your own home, I guess we could do that..."

"I would... I mean, don't get me wrong - I don't have anything against you guys. I just..."

"You don't have to explain. I understand."

"Do you?"

He smiled. "Do you even have to ask?"

I didn't; I knew he could understand from reading my mind.

"I just don't want anyone to think I don't like them because, I really do. I-"

"It's okay. They understand. Wait here; I'll be right back." He left the room again.

Even though he told me not to worry about it, I still felt kind of guilty. I was afraid that they would think that I had something against them, which I didn't. I loved Alice to death. How could I not? She was so considerate. And Jasper was incredibly nice, too... even though he didn't say much. Emmett was like a giant loving-yet-frightening stuffed teddybear. You'd look at him and be scared just by his size; you'd never figure he was just a big sweetie. Esme and Carlisle were very optimistic and gracious. Their posititude seemed to radiate when you were in the same room with them. And as for Rosalie... I guessed she would never come around... But I had heard Alice say that she was going to try. I hoped that the idea of trusting me would grow on her.

Part of the reason I didn't want to stay with Edward was because I worried about Rosalie slaughtering me in my sleep. I cringed at the thought of her spilling my blood all over the place... If Jasper couldn't stand my nose bleed, how would he react to that? Then what would he do? Would he feel guilty? I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I wasn't sure if I trusted Rosalie with NOT killing me.

Edward re-entered the room.

"Are you ready?"

"Sure..." I stood and followed him out of the room. When we got downstairs, Esme and Carlisle were in the parlor. The stood and approached us, both smiling warmly.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked.

"Much better. Thank you very much."

"You're quite welcome."

"Scottie, you are welcome here anytime." Esme smiled.

"Thank you. I really do appreciate all you've done..."

"It's not a problem."

Alice, Jasper, and Emmett came down the stairs as Esme and Carlisle returned to the parlor.

Alice hugged me and said, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Me, too."

Emmett hugged me as well, causing my bones to pop. You think bear hugs hurt? Try a vampire hug.

Jasper smiled and said, "We'll see you tomorrow."

I remembered that it was Sunday. We had school Monday (that's me, stating the obvious).

As Edward and I started out the door, Rosalie decended the stairs and approached me. At first I was scared; I thought she had come to kill me. I held my bed as she approached, then she stuck out her hand.

"We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Rosalie Hale." She didn't seem too thrilled.

"I'm Scottie Evans." I tentatively shook her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You, as well."

"Well. Scottie and I need to get going; it's getting late." Edward said.

We said goodbye a final time, then departed.

Atreyu - The Crimson: "I feel it welling up inside, and Robert Smith lied; boys do cry. And with blood tears in my eyes I'm an Anne Rice novel come to life. I can't hide the monster anymore. Once can only feel desolate for so long until one starts to change into something the mirror doesn't recognize. I metamorphosize. The darkness has been biding it's time to claim it's latest victim."