A/N: (Monday) I'm really tired, and I'm in a really bad mood, so I don't plan on working on this for very long tonight. Hopefully it's Tuesday, maybe Wednesday, when you're reading this. If it's Wed., please congratulate me on surviving another year of hell, the worst one yet.
Tuesday, the storm had passed.
"Kate! If you're not down here in five seconds, we're leaving without you!" Irina shook her head in annoyance and returned to applying her lipstick in the reflection of the hallway mirror.
Eleazar, Cole, Bella, and I stood by the back door, still waiting for Kate to find suitable shoes for trekking through mud.
"It's alright, guys, I helped her find some!" Alice shouted down the stairs to us. I could hear the familiar sound of shoes being thrown, and I knew Alice was off. Kate came running down the stairs only a moment later, escaping Alice as she viciously shredded anything from last season.
With the woods stretched out before us, we took off running. Soft, moist breeze blew through my hair—a result of the passing storm. The fresh feeling of the rain wafted through my senses as the scenery of the encroaching forest passed me by.
Our hunting lasted an unusually long time. Apparently Kate, Irina, and Eleazar hadn't been in quite some time. Cole, being so young, hunted with the three plentifully for well into two hours. Bella and I found a dry spot in the grass, and spent the better part of the afternoon exchanging funny stories and heartfelt memories while our friends viciously murdered all around us. Ah, the beauty of irony.
Eleazar came to join us first. "How are you girls this afternoon?" he inquired kindly, pulling his knees up to wrap his arms around them. "You've kept to yourselves most of the day."
"Just telling stories. Hey, can we call you Ellie?" I laughed, Bella joining me.
Eleazar cracked a small smile. "Why?" he asked, holding back his chuckle.
"It may or may not have come up in our conversation," I said, shifting my eyes all ninja-like.
"Sure," he said, his restrained laughter finally breaking through. "If you'd like."
Soon, Kate, Irina, and Cole came to rest with us. After a short break, Kate's enthusiasm shattered our peace.
"I wanna show off my gift now!" She pouted, and we all groaned.
"Fine. Just hurry it up. I'm ready to get back," Irina sighed, squirming in the grass beneath her. "Alice promised a shopping adventure."
Kate jumped up and clapped her hands together. She must have been a cheerleader at some point. "Ok, Eleazar and Cole, come here." The boys rolled their eyes, but did as they were told, and Kate beamed. "Alright, now Cole, you stand here. And Eleazar, come over here." she moved them so that they were standing six feet apart, facing each other. Kate stood in the middle.
I'm not entirely sure what happened past that. Kate had this grim, determined look on her face. The next thing we knew, Cole and Ellie were wrestling each other with every intent to kill. The black eyes donning both their faces startled me.
"Why are we fighting?" Cole grunted, throwing Ellie to the ground, shaking it beneath us.
"Because of her," Eleazar answered, quickly nodding his head over to Kate's sitting form on the ground.
"Wow," I breathed, my jaw slack.
"Yeah," Bella agreed, her eyes widened at the sight.
Irina, who had taken up a position similar to sleep, stirred at the excitement. "What?" she asked. "Oh, yeah, that happens. I, err, she told you about her gift."
"Yeah," Bella allowed, "but we didn't realize the…severity…of it. I was just expecting a few growls or something." She turned her attention to the quarreling men. "Hey, Mercutio! Tybalt! Let's calm it down."
"That won't work," Irina sang. "Kate has to stop thinking about it."
"Hey, Juliet!" I shouted.
Kate looked up from her cross-legged position and stared at me expectantly with wide eyes. "Yes?"
"Uhm…could you make them stop or something? I'm afraid someone's going to lose a limb."
"Yeah," Irina agreed, "save up your energy for the fight. It will be much more valuable by the weekend. Just imagine the damage you could do," she laughed.
"Alright, alright, break it up, boys." With another clap of her hands, the men parted, shaking hands, and sat with us again on the grass.
"That was fun," Cole commented. "Nice power, Kate, very nice."
Our laughter rang through the forest. For too long, we were denied Eleazar's showing of his gift. After what seemed an eternity to those of us who had yet to see the gift, Ellie jumped up.
"You guys ready?"
Bella, Cole, and I shook our heads excitedly. Eleazar chuckled at our enthusiasm.
"Well, I feel I must first properly explain, as Kate has not been able to do. My gift…" He paused, searching his brain for proper, fitting explanation. "It's almost like a reversal of Edward's. But it holds similarities to Jasper's as well. I can implant a thought into the mind of another. It takes much of my strength, and I can but manipulate only one person at a time. And, you see, I can only make the person think that, I cannot make them act upon the thought." He looked around, meeting three overly-interested gazes. "Would you like to see an example?"
The three of us nodded our heads excitedly. I was especially excited, having always had such an interest in the blessed, useful gifts which we received in new life. More so than Carlisle, I'd often wondered by what means and by what reason these gifts to us were granted, as we were often seen to be soulless monsters.
"Ayden, may I ask of you some assistance? You do seem most intrigued." He smiled ruefully, and I stood to join him.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked, bouncing in place.
He laughed. "Just stand still, and try to think as little as possible. It'll work much better, then."
And so I did. I closed my eyes, and stood motionless. I pictured in my mind nothing but a blade of grass. How odd my thoughts can be. Suddenly, though, I was overcome with the desire to spring forward and kiss Bella. It was a scary thing, to think of throwing myself toward my sister, thinking, hey, I want to kiss this girl right now.
"Ellie, that is so not cool! Ugh!" I stomped back over to my former spot of residence, and landed on the soft ground with an 'umph.'
"What did he do?" Cole asked softly in my ear, wiping away all previous thoughts concerning homosexuality and my sister.
"Trust me, it's best left unspoken." I rolled my eyes, and on that final note, the others rose.
"Shopping time," Irina chimed, sprinting off through the forest. "I cannot wait to get back!" She took off ahead of the group, passing even me: the fastest of the six.
Alice, Irina, Rose, Tanya, and Kate had their little adventure at the mall, leaving the rest of us behind.
I wanted to sleep. An odd feeling, it is, to be tired when it is so unnatural to one's kind. Cole and I laid peacefully in our bed silently, soft piano notes winding through the air. I rolled over to face my Romeo, my Darcy, my Heathcliff. He looked down at me with wide, glassy golden eyes—eyes which held no emotion but love.
"I'm scared," I admitted, curling into his perfectly flawless chest. "Do you think that…everything will be okay?"
"I doubt it not; and all these woes shall serve for sweet discourses in our time to come." He smiled down at me, and I laughed.
"Leave it to you to quote Romeo when I'm practically having a panic attack. Honestly, though, do you think we stand a good chance?"
"I most certainly do. Were you even conscious today? Just picture it: you're singing people comatose with your sickeningly sweet voice, I'm having all the girls fall before me, Eleazar's having someone rip off their own arms, and Kate's making all the men kill one another. Edward's reading the minds of his opponents, and thus killing them easily. Jasper's making everyone cry, and Alice is seeing everyone's decisions the moment they're made. Plus, Bella's there to help any of us in need. I believe we have no reason to fret, my dearest." He kissed my forehead, and hugged me tightly against him.
I sighed. "I guess you're right. I suppose your little theory is plausible, and quite hilarious I might add."
"Yes, yes, I know. Ayden, I love you so much. I hate to see the worry on your face. It stresses me out." He kissed my neck. "Could I help you…unwind?" He slid the strap of my red tank top off my shoulder. "Please?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Why should I oblige you with such an honor?" I rose my eyebrows at him, challenging him.
"Well," he purred, rolling himself over me, "for some unfathomable reason, you seem to love me, and I know I love you. Do I give you not reason enough?"
"You do not," I countered, raising my chin with superiority.
He leaned down to kiss me. "Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged," he growled in my ear.
I giggled against his neck. "What is it with you and Shakespeare today?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. It seemed appropriate before, but that was just an attempt to turn you on," he admitted, laughing.
"You're terrible," I laughed with him. "Though I think it may have worked."
"Oh, did it?" he inquired, copying my raised eyebrows. "How about this?" He kissed me from my ear lobe, all the way to my breasts, barely stopping where my bra began.
"Yes," I breathed against his bare chest. "It most certainly did."
A/N: And finally, it is done. School's out for summer. Everyone listen to some Alice Cooper and watch Dazed and Confused. I hope to update twice tomorrow, once at least, and I hope you'll all forgive me for my leave of absence. Review for another update!