Ah, chapter four... I wrote this a few days ago in a notebook, but couldn't get on the computer to type it up. I'm sorry about the short little wait for the update. But... as of now, here's chapter five, and I hope you enjoy... =]

Carlisle Cullen

I'd never wanted to be like my mother. I'd never wanted to live my life in a rut, to never change, to be miserable. I didn't care, at this age and time, about getting married and having children in my future. My mother was the type of person who rushed into things before she had any idea of what it entailed. I, having lived with her for that majority of the fifteen years of my life, never wanted to end up anything like her.

That all changed a week and a half ago.

It all changed when Esme, a girl I barely knew, went missing in the forest.

That dark, mysterious girl had changed, or so it seemed, my life in a mere week and a half.

Maybe she wasn't normal. Maybe she was one of those girls who had the ability to mysteriously seduce any man that she pleases. It was a slight possibility, but not one that I was willing to consider. Besides, I couldn't see Esme as the type of girl to do that. If she were one of those people that strolled casually down the hallway with the opposite sex swarming around and falling all over them, well, that would be a different story.

I sighed and stood up from the kitchen table, setting my barely-touched bowl of cereal in the sink. I quickly rinsed it out, knowing that my mother wouldn't bother to do the dishes when sh returned from work at 7:30 that evening. Grabbing my backpack from the floor, I walked out the door and shut it behind me, starting on my way to school.

I entered the school building, making my way through the tightly-packed students in the hallway. I looked around at the shocked faces that I passed and several groups of whispering friends before stopping behind a large group of football players that were circled around a locker.

"So you came back, emo chick?"

"Have fun in that forest of yours?"

I listened to several more of their taunts before shoving through two of the guys and standing beside the girl they were insulting. Esme.

"Oh, its blondie! I see you've jumped off your white horse to defend your little girlfriend, huh?" one of them threw at me.

"Leave her alone," was my simple yet harshly-toned reply.

"So you two are dating? Gotten to second base yet?" another one snickered.

His friend elbowed him in the side, "Doubt it. That's probably why she was out in the forest; trying to get raped 'cause her boyfriend won't give her any."

That did it. That comment infuriated me; every other thought or emotion in my brain was overrode with red hot anger as I pulled back my arm, clenched my fist and smacked the football player square in the nose, hearing a loud crack follow the impact. He grunted in pain and staggered backwards, his hand clapped over his nose.

"Serves you right -" I began, stepping towards him again, but I was cut off by two hands: a light touch to my arm from Esme, who looked as if she were about to burst into tears, and another, stronger hand pushing on my chest to keep me away from the jock. Mr. Aldrict... my science teacher.

"Detention. Both of you. After school," he ordered in a deep monotone. I stared at him in disbelief.

"But... she didn't even do anything! I know I deserve it, but she doesn't!" I protested.

"I don't care. All I know is that I better see both of you in my room at two-thirty on the dot, or you'll get into a lot worse than detention," he threatened before storming off in the opposite direction. I ran my fingers through my hair, habit I had when I was stressed, and turned to look at Esme.

"God, Esme, I'm sorry -" I started to say, before cutting myself off when I saw her. She was slightly hunched over in her locker, her body trembling with the small sobs she tried to conceal. I lightly touched her shoulder.

"Esme?" I asked quietly. "Are you okay?" She stood back, shut her locker and nodded slightly.

"I'm fine, thank you," she whispered, keeping her eyes on the tiled floor as she walked away to her first period class, just as the late bell tolled. The shrill sound seemed inaudible to my ears as I watched her swiftly walk away.

"I'm... sorry, Esme."

gah... its so short. -.- They always seem longer when they're handwritten.

I apologize for the length of this chapter... but I also have chapter five written down, so I'll type that up and try to get more than one update in today. =] Thank you for reading, and reviews are always greatly appreciated!