I woke the next morning and packed up my meagre belongings from the hostel, knowing that Alice would have kept her word, and my house would be finished. Saying goodbye with a heartfelt promise that I would visit soon, I said my thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Weber before leaving the hostel. I was eager to see what marvels Alice had worked on my home, and I had to get ready for the first of my deliveries of furniture. The ride over was a pleasant one, even though it was pouring from the heavens. I quite enjoyed the rain. I loved the smell that it made when it hit the warm tarmac, and the way the drops would dance on everything they fell on. The leaves on the trees would shiver as if they were cold, when the larger of droplets skimmed their veiny, leathery surfaces. It was beautiful, like a well choreographed ballet. I couldn't help but smile at the joy I felt inside. I was very lucky to end up here, of all places, and lucky with the friends I had already made.
The scene before me as I entered my home, was not one I recognised. Not only had they painted the outside of the house a warm buttermilk colour, but the inside was finished to a tee. Looking through each room, I could see that Alice was absolutely spot on with the colours she chose. She really was remarkable. Heading back into the sitting room, I noticed a folded piece of paper on the fireplace. Unfolding the note, I scanned the bottom first, and saw it was from Alice.
Maeryn,
I hope you like what we have done with your home, and I hope it is to your taste. We didn't spend all night as expected, as I managed to rope in Edward after all. I won't see you until Monday, as the family are leaving after school for a long weekend trip. I'll text you over the weekend, though. I wouldn't want you missing me too much! Now, enjoy your new home, and I'll see the finished version when I get back.
Alice. Xx
P.s. Yes, you should get a Dragon Tree for the corner by the window. It will look great!
She was incorrigible! I was thinking, last night, whether to have a plant there, or just buy cut flowers every week. Well, looks like I will be buying the Dragon Tree. I would need to send them a small gift of appreciation, but I had no idea what they liked. I would ask Bella, as she was pretty close to them. I decided to text my thanks to Alice, and told her to enjoy her weekend away. I wasn't expecting a reply, as she was in school, but she sent one anyway. She stated that if I wasn't sure on where to place my furniture, she was only a phone call away. I rolled my eyes. As if I needed to call her! She would be straight on the phone if she saw any indecision on my part. Or maybe she couldn't fully see me yet. She did say it would take a little time for her sight to become clear with me. Shaking my head with a smile, I could here a vehicle approach the house. The first of my deliveries had arrived, and it was a sofa, a coffee table, a bed and my bedroom furniture. I was hoping for more of my sitting room furniture to arrive, but at least I had a bed to sleep in tonight. I would just need to wait until the morning for the rest.
After arranging, and rearranging my furniture, it was time for dinner. I didn't have any of my kitchen equipment, so the diner would have to do. I text Bella and Angela to ask if they would like to join me. Angela was unfortunately busy studying for a test, and Bella's dad would be home for tea, so she asked if I would like to join them for dinner at her house.
"Hey, Maeryn," Bella waved, as I pulled into her drive.
"Hi," I said, as I walked up her path. "Your dad not home yet?" I asked, noticing his cruiser was nowhere to be seen.
"He's running late," she said, as she welcomed me inside. "Which is great, because I'm late with dinner anyway. I got caught up in one of my books."
"Do you need a hand?"
"That would be great. Here, you can chop the vegetables for the casserole."
I did as she asked, while she prepared the chicken, and I asked her what she thought I should buy Alice, her husband and brother, as a thank you gift.
"What do you get someone that knows what you will get her in the first place?" she chuckled.
"Ah, now you see, she can't really see me yet, so I may just get away with surprising her."
"That'll be a first. What about getting them some concert tickets? That way you won't have to fuss about getting them something individually. They could enjoy the gift together."
"Is there anyone in particular that they like?"
"Well …. Um, maybe that's not such a good idea, after all. They all have very different tastes in music. Well, we all know that Alice loves fashion. Jasper is a civil war veteran, so maybe something to do with that. And Edward loves his classical music," she suggested.
"Okay, thanks. I will need to think on that."
We chatted at her kitchen table, while we waited on dinner cooking, and her dad arrived just as we were plating up.
"Hey Bells," he called from the door.
"Hi, dad. We're in the kitchen. I hope you don't mind, but I invited a friend over."
"Sure, Bells. No problem," he said, as he sauntered into the kitchen.
"Dad, this is Maeryn. Maeryn, my dad," Bella said, introducing us.
"Nice to meet you Police Chief Swan."
"You too, Maeryn, and please, call me Charlie," he said, smiling.
We gathered together at the table to eat, and it smelled delicious. There was no conversation as the first few bites were eaten, but Charlie soon got round to asking his questions, as I knew he would. I answered them with the same answers everyone else got. He seemed to consider them for a bit longer than anyone else had, but he was, after all, a police officer. After seeing the briefest of frowns on his head, he composed himself quickly, and gave me a smile.
"Well, Maeryn. You are welcome here anytime you wish. You must get pretty lonely living by yourself," he said.
"That's very kind of you, but I don't really get lonely. I enjoy my own company, and the quiet. But I do like being around my new friends, too. So there will be a compromise in there somewhere," I smiled.
"Well, Bells. Dinner was good. There's a game on tonight, so I'll go watch that. Unless you, uh, want a hand to …"
"That's fine, dad. Maeryn and I can handle it. Go and watch your game," Bella chuckled.
Charlie's grin spread. "Thanks, Bells."
Bella rolled her eyes as her dad left the kitchen, and gathered up the plates.
"He's nice," I said, as I helped clear up.
"Yeah, he's cool. That was his discreet way of trying to make sure you're safe, inviting you here anytime," she smiled. "I don't think he likes the idea of a young girl living on her own in the woods."
"Young?" I snorted.
"Well, you are to him, no matter what age you really are," Bella laughed.
"If only he knew," I whispered.
"Oh, no. He will never know. I don't think he could handle those kind of truths. He would probably sign himself into the nearest mental hospital."
We both giggled, quietly, then we headed for Bella's room. We sat around chatting, and listening to music, and we discussed the Cullen's. Alice had already told me almost everything, but I wanted the perspective of someone from the outside, and Bella was the only one who knew the real them.
"Well, they are all extremely nice and polite. Well, perhaps not Rosalie. She's quite unwelcoming of strangers knowing about her family. Especially the human kind. They are all mated, apart from Edward. I don't know why. Perhaps the right girl hasn't entered his life yet. All the girls at school always try to get his attention, but he's just not interested."
"Is he gay?" I blurted out, before my brain could engage with my mouth.
"Oh, no," Bella chuckled. "He's not. I have been told by Alice, that he will meet the one, one day, but she can't determine the who or the when. She said it was all too blurry and vague to put a time scale on it, and on who it was."
"Sorry," I mumbled. "My mouth runs away with me sometimes."
"Don't worry about it. You should hear some of the rumours around school. Oh, but you will on Monday. Especially when Jess sets her sights on you. She hasn't spent any real time with you yet, and she will be dying to tell you all the gossip," Bella smiled.
I rolled my eyes. "Great!" I said, mockingly. I know I didn't really know Jessica, but she already grated on me. There would be no avoiding her, though, as she was friends with my friends, and no doubt they would all sit together at school.
"Don't worry about it," Bella said. "Once the first day has passed, she will put you on the back burner, and place Mike back at the front," she laughed.
"So, how well do you get on with the Cullen's?" I asked her.
"We all get on great. I've got some lifetime friends there. Alice and I are the closest, though, and Edward and I are fairly close. I think it's because Alice has finally made a true friend in me, and Edward is thankful to me for that. He was very wary at first, you know, with having a human know their secrets. But, once he learned that their secret was safe with me, I think he relaxed and enjoyed watching Alice's enjoyment in having a friend. Alice is his favourite sister, after all. So, he started hanging out with us more. Jasper hangs out when he can, but he sometimes struggles with their diet."
A small hiss escaped my lips. If even one of them struggled, then lives were in danger. I could not allow that to happen. Bella must have sensed this, as she shook her head fiercely.
"No, no. It's not what you think. Jasper would never dream of hurting a human. I just meant that it can be painful for him, to be near me as much as the others. Please, Maeryn. Don't judge him too harshly. He is a very sweet guy, and do you honestly think Alice would let him anywhere near humans, if she thought he would be a danger? Remember she can see …."
Bella was right. Alice could see if there was any danger, and I'm sure she wouldn't allow it.
"Sorry. It's just hard to go against an instinct that I've had for so long, when I never knew that vampire's like the Cullen's existed. It is all so strange to me, you know? No, you don't," I whispered at the end, and a strange feeling of emptiness filled me. I couldn't understand why I felt like that, as I had friends and a new life. I was happy. I was sure I was happy.
"Talking about your instincts," Bella interrupted my thoughts. "What are you? Can I ask?"
I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Bella, I can't. It is too dangerous. For me, as well as anyone who knows me. For now, anyway. All I can tell you is, you will know at a later time. Once I have fully regained all my skills, knowledge, and weapons that I need to keep myself, and others, from danger. You will just have to be patient, I'm afraid."
I had to keep it to myself for now, as I couldn't risk exposing myself before I was ready and fully equipped. The people around me would find out eventually, so I would rather tell them myself. But not now. The time would come when the Sky Riders would sense me, but I wouldn't know when that was. So, telling them in advance would be better than having them find out when I was about to get attacked. Why stay around people then? Although I do like my own company, I seem to be compelled to interact with the other beings of this world. I don't know if it's my own nature, or the nature of my kind to crave company. Maybe it's an inbuilt thing that helps me to be less visible, if I am around others. Being alone can be an advantage, if I were to be attacked, but it also has its drawbacks. More exposure on my own. They would sense me that much quicker. So, maybe it was just another instinct, to be around other beings. But, I liked it, nevertheless.
"Maeryn?" Bella said, shaking my arm slightly.
"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I was lost in thought, there."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing I was just trying to remember."
"Remember what?" Bella asked. She was so curious.
"I don't know, that's the problem," I snorted.
"What," she chuckled. "You have amnesia or something?"
"Something like that. But, that's a story for another day. I best get going. I wouldn't want to outstay my welcome."
"You could stay over, if you like," Bella suggested.
"You have school in the morning. Tomorrow is just Friday," I stated.
"Oh, yeah," Bella grumbled. "Okay, how about over the weekend? We could have a pyjama party and have a movie marathon."
"That sounds great. We could do it at mine on Saturday. The rest of my stuff is being delivered tomorrow, and I'll go shopping after that for some major snacks," I chuckled.
Bella smiled, and walked me to the door. She said she would call when she was ready to come over, and then she hugged me goodnight. I drove slowly home, still with a sense of emptiness inside. Perhaps Saturday night would be just what I needed.
After an enjoyable weekend with Bella, I found myself slightly nervous on Monday morning, and going to school. Today I would be the new kid, and all eyes would be on me. Not something that I liked. Plus, I would be meeting a few more of the Cullen's, and I didn't know how I would react around them. Would I be calm, as Alice and Bella had told me enough about them, or would my instincts kick in and want me to fight and defend? Only time would tell, but it made me anxious to think of it. Alice did text over the weekend, and she text this morning again, excited about my first day at school. Why she was excited, I'd never know, but that was Alice. I had picked up my schedule Friday, so I didn't need to rush to school to take care of that. Alice had said she would meet me in the parking lot a half hour before school started, so she could introduce her family to me. Sighing heavily, I grabbed my pack, and headed for the unknown.
The school grounds was still fairly quiet when I arrived, and I spied Alice standing with Bella, and two males. Parking my car, I could feel the stares of a few people that were there, and my sense had already picked up on the fact that there were three creatures in the vicinity, that could pose a great danger. I tried to shake it off, as I knew that there was no danger with these three, but my sense wouldn't let up. Taking a deep breath, I got out the car, and walked over to where my friends were standing.
The two males had their backs to me, and Alice spotted me from between them. A huge smile spread across her face.
"Maeryn!" she squealed, as she squeezed between the boys. As she grabbed me in a tight embrace, she twirled me around, just as the boys started to turn to face us. Now I couldn't see anything but Alice, and because of that, my body went rigid as my sense went into overdrive. She tentatively let go. "What's wrong?" she enquired.
"Nothing," I answered. "I'll be fine in a minute," I said, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. I had to force myself to turn around slowly, as I didn't like the fact that there were vampires at my back.
"This is Jasper," she said, and then moved me slightly. "And this is Edward," she said, pushing me forward a little.
I took another deep breath, and forced my eyes to open, and looked upon the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. My heart stuttered as I gazed into his rich, topaz eyes, and my breathing stopped. As I looked, his eyes started to turn a deadly shade of black, and I could feel my own eyes blaze. My sense forced my body to retreat, even though I didn't want to leave his side, but instinct took over. It told me I was out numbered, and that there was danger here.
"I have to leave," I said through gritted teeth.
"Maeryn, it's okay. They are just like me. They are safe," Alice whispered.
"I'm going," I snapped at her, and turned on my heels and ran for the forest, not caring who saw me run faster than the average human.
While I ran, my sense surrounded me, and told me I wasn't being followed. For that, I was grateful. I needed to clear my head, and figure out just what had happened back there. I ran and ran, until my muscles started to groan in protest. Eventually, I slowed and came to a stop. I sat on a fallen tree, closed my eyes, and calmed my breathing. I had no idea what had happened. I have never felt my eyes blaze as hot as they did, even when I was awakening from my burning. And his eyes. Why did they turn black? Did he see me as a threat? A danger? I didn't know, but I wasn't ready to find out just yet. I needed time to calm down, and readjust my sense, so that I wouldn't freak out again when I saw them next. My heavy breathing finally receded, but my heart was still fluttering. I rubbed my chest, as if I were in pain, but it didn't help. Why hadn't Alice seen this happening? Had she even seen at all? Or was I still too vague for her? Just as I was thinking of it, my cell bleeped with an incoming message.
A - I'm so sorry, Maeryn. I didn't know. I would have arranged a meeting prior to the start of school, if I did. Are you okay? X
M - I will be, once I figure out just what happened. Could you maybe make an excuse for me with school? I'll text you later. X
A - Of course. If you need me, call. X
Well, that answered my question. She hadn't seen. So now what?
"Maeryn?" a soft voice whispered. I spun my head to the side, and saw a young man with piercing, violet eyes. "It has happened."
"Azriel?"