BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAY

Chapter 3 Who's For Lunch?

It was agreed that I would be meeting Edward at a local pizza place with his brothers and sister. He was not ready to bring me home to meet everyone at least for now. The place was easily visible from the street and it would soon be lunch time. I told Rikki that they will probably not eat pizza, or they will buy it and share it with everyone else.

I told Rikki and Cleo who told Zane and Lewis about Edward and his family, but they thought it was pretty far- fetched. All they could guess was Edward and his family just could not be normal.

Wasn't one secret enough for these guys? I knew Lewis could be trusted; sometimes we took him for granted. If we did, he always seemed to roll it off for Cleo's sake. What the girls were concerned about was the fact that Edward had seen me freeze water when Ash had an accident in the Juice Net and then disappeared to clean himself up. Ash and I weren't an item anymore, so why tell him?

The Secret. It was about keeping our secret safe. Our lives revolved around the moon's cycles, especially the full moon. We were never really safe from its effects, but we'd always prepared the best we knew how, and to continually educate ourselves about it.

Now with Edward being a v-v-vampire? And maybe there were others? I'd get heartburn from pizza just thinking about it. I mean, didn't they kill people by sucking their blood? Turn others into the same thing? I was already a mermaid and that was weird enough. There was no doubt about our feelings about each other by this time, there had been real chemistry.

Edward had told me there was nothing to worry about and I believed him. I felt I could trust him explicitly. Although I had to admit I was not sure how to do that. Edward may be a vampire but he was still a teenager; surely he hung out with friends (or should I say "humans")? played on the computer, ate ice cream and pizza, right?

He also told me not all vampires were bad. Some, like Edward and his family, were "good" vampires. Whoa stop the presses. Now I was going to meet them

What will I learn at lunch? Will I be afraid? Will WE be afraid is what I should say. Apparently he'd had a conversation with his family about us.

Ok we met at the pizza place at 12 noon. Introductions were made. His sister Alice I liked immediately, she seemed friendly and comfortable around us as did Emmett. Deep down inside I could not help but wonder; are they looking at us like we're a good piece of licorice?

Alice was rather cute with her short brown hair and she hugged me. "It's great to meet you Emma. I hope we can be friends. By the way, you smell great."

I hugged her back with a small smile, "Um must be a new body wash I tried this morning".

Lewis and Zane shook hands with Emmett and Jasper, who stopped in briefly.

"I'll get us a table", Emmett smiled as he led the way.

Alice motioned Edward who talked in a corner. "Edward, these girls smell like MARINE LIFE! Not just human blood!" she whispered quietly.

"Yeah, Emma told me something about that. I guess this lunch will be interesting. Maybe we'll find out more. I think it's their secret just like we do" Edward whispered back.

"They are mermaids? That's unbelievable! I certainly did NOT see that coming!" Alice exclaimed.

Alice and Edward returned to the table with questions. I braced myself.

"So, Edward says you girls are mermaid?" Alice inquired intently.

"Y-Yes we are Alice", and blindly I looked around at my friend's faces, which were stamped with fear. We PROMISED NEVER to tell anyone except our boyfriends of this.

"It's OK Emma he told me. I commented on your scent and my suspicions were confirmed. You are part marine life and not 100% human which makes your blood a bit unpalatable."

"Which means…we are safe from…?" I could not say it.

"Your friend's boyfriends are safe too; they come under your protection, Emma."

"Emma says you guys are v-vampires? We're not part of the lunch menu, are we? Rikki could barely whisper, joking apprehensively.

"Relax, Rikki. We are very big on keeping our word with one another. We gave Edward our word and we'll protect you." Alice was most reassuring.

Relieved, we all went back to our table. All of a sudden, Edward spoke. "See those people over there drinking? I can tell exactly what they are thinking about. The one on the end….his work." He motioned with his hand. "And those girls…well they are thinking about sex, meeting some guy here…and that guy on the end….dog sitting? Watching a neighbor's dog?"

Cleo almost dropped her pizza slice. "How do you KNOW these things?" she wondered out loud.

"Don't freak out Cleo, Edward and I could see the thoughts of humans, although I see mostly visions." Alice reached out and patted her arm.

"WOW!" Rikki and Cleo simultaneously chimed, looking at each other in disbelief.

Lewis and Zane had felt uncomfortable with this discussion and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air.

"Ever feel like you were on the outside of an exclusive club?" Zane asked.

"All the time, Zane, all the time. But I've learned how to deal with it. I think we'd better go back in." Lewis told him.

They just sat down, when Emmett got up abruptly. "There is trouble".

Zane's eyes grew wide. "What kind of trouble?"

"In my mind I see a very confused guy at that place you call the Juice Net café. He's a friend of yours, Emma?" Emmett looked at her with a sober look.

"Well, he used to be a boyfriend." I looked apologetically at Edward.

"My sensors picked that up" Edward said matter of fact like.

Now my face whitened with fear. "Is ...is...it Ash? Why would anybody mess with him?"

Emmett drew a breath before answering. "Evidently he and Laurent had an argument."

"Who's Laurent?" Lewis and Zane asked together.

"He and his clan are our enemies and Ash could be in real trouble. We must leave NOW." Jasper offered.

"Let us help you guys!" Lewis cried.

Jasper held up his hand motioning Lewis to be still. "Thanks, but between the three of us we can move at lightning speed, and we know how to get there."

We could only go back home and be safe and wait for any news of Ash.