AN: Hello my dear readers, I'm sorry that it took me this long to update but I've been busy and lazy when I get a chance to rest (I know bad habit, but they die hard so please bear with me) and I have a slight problem... I have a big case of writer's block and it's not cool.

I'd like to thank the people who reviewed, added the story to their Favorites & Alert list. And I'd also like to Thank my Beta, David, for his help. He has a lot of patience with my horrid self. XD

By the way, I'm going to try a new way of 'posting' these chapters, but if it doesn't work then I'll keep the 'format' I've used since the beginning.

Oh! And before I forget, in this chapter there are about 3 uses of profanity... I think, but I'm sure it's less than 5. So if you aren't comfortable with profanity, I'm sorry. I don't like using it in my stories, but sometimes it's necessary (Like in this chapter).

Okay this is the end of this particular AN. Enjoy the chapter. :)

P.S. A Really Belated Happy Birthday to my good friend Ash (BellaMarieCullen'87).

0~O~0

Vile Beauty

Chapter 8: Alone in Crime

0~O~0

"Bye Emmett, I'll see you tomorrow," I said, seconds before the bell rang. I smiled when I saw the look on his face; he was defiantly wondering how I did that.

I got up from my seat and was the first person out the door. I saw many students rushing out of the classroom, glad that the first day of class was finally over. I even heard several students complain that it wasn't fair for them to have homework on the first day of school.

A path started to part for me as I walked and a few of the students- mostly boys- stared at me with wide eyes. One would have thought that after a few hours after my arrival they would have stopped talking about me, but no- they decided to keep talking about me some more.

I saw a boy that looked like a freshman looking at me and I winked at him, just to see his reaction.

Immediately his heartbeat quickened and his breaths came out in gasps. I smirked; teenage boys were so predictable.

I saw Martha by the water fountain and I waved goodbye as I passed her and walked towards the gate doors.

Why people put gates around a high school was beyond me. I doubted that the children would take the time to break into the school and deface it. I hoped the humans weren't that petty; but, after all, they were human and immature.

Across the parking lot I saw Jasper and his pixie-like mate who were both standing by a silver Volvo. They looked at me curiously but I ignored them. I was about to mess with his power when my cell phone rang.

"Hi Angela!" I said into the phone as carefree as possible.

"Hi Marie." I could practically see Angela playing with her hair nervously.

"What's wrong Angela?" I asked as I stopped right outside of my car.

"Martha and I will be going to Port Angeles on Friday and we were wondering if you'd like to come with us?" Great.

"I would love to Angela, but my sister and I will be going out of town to visit some old friends of ours that we haven't seen in a long time," I lied.

"Oh."

"Sorry, see you tomorrow Angie." I heard her laugh softly.

"Alright Marie, bye."

As I went over today's events, I realized that I had spent so much time trying to act human that I hadn't had time to search for the perfect prey. I would have to prioritize that tomorrow.

I sighed and went home. I noticed that Jen wasn't there and headed into my room.

The moment I sat on my bed I realized that I had nothing to do... And drawing didn't sound too appealing so I turned my laptop on and went on YouTube to watch some videos. I quickly found one titled "Hush, Hush" although it was the song and not a music video. The song was slow and calm and for some strange reason, I liked it- so I downloaded it and put it on my iPod to listen to it while I did some decorating.

I picked up a box and opened it. Inside I found several things that I hadn't seen in years. One was an old iron picture frame displaying a 'family portrait.' It showed my father, Jen, me and the poor mentally-unstable human that my father and I had basically adopted years ago.

That photograph brought back so many memories, mostly hurtful ones. The song's lyrics,

'And it's a little late for conversation,

There isn't anything for you to say'

kept resonating through my head and I felt the picture frame slip through my fingers, but I couldn't make them move. I faintly heard the glass shatter but I was lost in the memory of him touching her. I felt the gap in my heart move dangerously, like magma breaking through the surface of the previous layer of cooled lava.

My knees weakened and I collapsed onto the hard wood floor, gasping for unnecessary breath.

I crawled slowly back upstairs climbed onto my bed before I collapsed. I felt like curling into myself but I knew that wouldn't stop the pain. I had lost too many people that I loved for that to actually work.

With shaky hands I opened my back pack and pulled out a pencil and my sketch book. I flipped to a blank page and stared at it for an uncertain amount of time before I controlled my breathing and my hands became steady enough to draw. My mind paid no real attention to what my hand was doing; I simply let myself get lost in the picture.

In what felt like minutes but was more accurately hours I had finished my drawing, but inside I knew that no amount of drawing would ever help me.

I glanced out the window and saw that the sun was beginning to rise, so I got up and made my way to the bathroom. I did things robotically and soon I stepped outside the tub with water droplets covering my body, making it look even paler than it was, which seemed impossible to me until I remembered that I still had the human disguise on.

I donned a simple blue shirt, some dark jeans and matching closed-toe heels. I towel-dried my hair before I ran a brush through it once and left it alone.

I went back into my room and saw that I had ten minutes to get to school so I grabbed my black coat and put the sketch book and pencil back inside my backpack. I lightly applied some make-up and walked out the door.

Jen hadn't come home at all.

0~O~0

The school day began much the same way as the day before, except that several teachers finally decided to hand out their syllabi. After a quick glance I concluded that passing the classes would be simple enough.

I was currently in my seat- the math teacher was droning on and on about what to expect in her class- when it occurred to me that I would need to gather some information on the animal-drinkers if I was to successfully avoid their suspicions while in town.-After going over it a few times I resolved to ask Angela or Martha at lunch, maybe I could even make them 'break into sweat'- or so the saying went.

I couldn't help but smile to myself- lunch was going to be interesting.

0~O~0

"Marie, aren't you going to get lunch?" Angela asked as she sat down in the seat next to mine. I took a quick look at her food and scrunched my face up in disgust.

"I'd rather not; I'll eat when I get home. Besides, I'd rather drink this." I pulled out a silver thermos from my backpack.

"What is that?" Ben asked as he took a seat across from me.

"It's something special my sister and I drink, you guys would find the taste disgusting because you're not used to its bitterness. It tastes worse than strong black coffee, or so I've been told," I explained before I opened the thermos and began to drink.

In reality it was blood that we had around the house from previous hunts that we stored in the refrigerator. Having it around the house was a good way to prevent us from becoming so thirsty that we would lose control and attack a human, in case we hadn't hunted in a while. We only stored blood every six months, which also meant that we had to drink it cold. Of course it didn't taste the same as when it was fresh.

"So, someone tell me which groups I should avoid."

"What?" Ben asked, confusion written all over his face. I sighed.

"First, point to all the 'popular kids' tables and then the 'social outcasts.' Please."

"Oh. Okay then… popular, popular, popular and popular," Ben replied, pointing at some tables near the other side of the cafeteria. "There aren't that many social outcasts in school except for us geeks and the Cullens."

"The Cullens? Why?"

"I'm not really sure; they keep to themselves most of the time."

"Okay- bitch and not a bitch."

"Huh?" Martha asked confused.

"I mean be a bitch to the people at the popular table, but not to the geeks and other social outcasts."

"That's practically social suicide."

"Yeah, I know." I smiled brightly at Martha.

"Why would you do that? You actually have a great shot at being popular," Ben asked, clearly not seeing the reason.

"It's quite simple Ben. You see, the popular kids tend to be a bunch of arses that think they deserve everything in the world when they practically have no brain. Plus, the geeks and social outcasts will one day rule the world." I kept my voice as nonchalant as I could.

"She's got a point," Angela put in with a smile.

"Someone else has seen the light! You are officially my first Forks convert," I exclaimed dramatically. I wasn't acting very maturely but I am pretending to be a teenager.

"Okay then, you two are officially the strange ones," Martha said before drinking some juice.

"Anyway, someone tell me about the Cullens, our social outcast buddies," I paused and looked inside the thermos,."I think my sister spiked my drink." Wait, was that even possible? I heard Angela, Ben and Martha laugh as what I said settled in. "You guys I'm not joking, I swear I think she did, that would also explain why she wasn't home all day." They laughed even harder after I said that and I waited for them to get over their laughing fit and answer my question.

"I'm sorry Marie, but that's just too funny." Angela paused to take a breath. "Anyway there's not much to tell. They moved to Forks two years ago, they're all adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, and they're dating each other. Rosalie is with Emmett, Alice is with Jasper and Edward is by himself. Also Jasper and Rosalie's last name is Hale, not Cullen. They're twins."

"Their names sound like something for an early century book- except for Jasper's. His sounds like something out of the Pre-Civil War Era." Angela gave me a questioning look and I sighed.

"How do you know that?" Ben asked.

"I study history and English literature," I lied to them. After all, I had lived during the early 1900's, Jasper himself had told me he was born before the Civil War and I had met several Edward's during and after my human lifetime.

I glanced at the Cullens who all looked a bit too stiff and still, especially Jasper.

"That's cool," Angela said and I looked at her and smiled.

"You're the first person outside my family to think so."

"Really? That's hard to believe. A person can gain so much knowledge from the past."

"Spoken like a true historian Ang."

"Thanks," she replied, blushing. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I think history is a bit boring- no offense Marie."

"None taken, and I understand your point Martha. But the people with knowledge hold power and I like power." I winked at Ben who was watching and I saw him shake his head. "You don't agree Ben?"

"Hey, don't drag me into this."

"Fine," I replied, rolling my eyes. I stood up from the table just as the bell rang and took a few steps away; the others were still in their seats. I stopped, turned around and placed my hands on my hips. "Aren't you guys coming?" I asked and raised my eyebrow at them.

They laughed and followed my lead before throwing the trash away and going towards their own classes, except for Angela.

"Who do you think will be your lab partner Marie?"

"I don't know I just hope it's not someone who is lazy or stupid. For example, you would make a good lab partner." I smiled at her as we sat down in the same desk we had the day before, and we waited for Mr. Anderson to appear and for the bell to ring.

Mr. Anderson finally walked into the class several minutes after the bell rang, carrying a folder in hand.

"Good afternoon class. As I told you yesterday, I will be assigning seats and lab partners today, so be quiet and pay attention. Isabel Swan," he said, pointing to the seat at the very back of the class, furthest from the aisle. " And Edward Cullen," he added, pointing to the seat next to mine. I heard several boys groan and I turned to look at Angela who was looking at me and mouthed 'What a reaction.' She struggled to keep herself from laughing out loud as I moved to take my assigned seat.

I turned to Edward, who had joined me at our table, tapped his shoulder and stretched out my hand.

"Hi. I'm Isabel Marie Swan, but please just call me Marie." I smiled slightly at him as he shook my hand.

"Pleasure, I'm Edward Cullen."

"Piacere di conoscerla," I replied with a nod of my head before I turned toward the front and watched Angela sit down next to a light brown haired boy in the seat directly in front of mine.

Things in Biology were bound to get interesting soon, especially with the animal-drinker being my lab partner.

Published: Thursday October 22, 2009

AN: Some of you may have noticed (and other's not) that this chapter was a bit longer than a few of my recent ones, I tried to make it longer still but I couldn't, my brain died on me. To those of you who wanted longer chapters, I'm sorry about that, I'll keep working on it. Promise.

And I'm sorry if I messed up on that 1 line in Italian at the end of the chapter; I'm still learning the language and David wasn't too sure about it either.

So, I have a new poll on my profile. The question is if you would like for me to post/upload sneak peeks of future chapters on my DeviantArt Page and Web Site every couple of Friday's. So go ahead and vote if you want to, the voting will end on November 17th.

If you liked this chapter (or even if you didn't) please review.

I'd also already like to thank those of you who will review, but all my readers are awesome regardless if they review or not.

~Medea (Formerly Artemis S. Cullen)