My eyes flutter open. I am met with a dark room. I let my eyes adjust and then take in my surroundings. This is definitely one of the guest bedrooms, and I am laying on the bed of it. I have bandages all of over me, some with red stains seeping through. I am no longer wet and dirty as I was last time I was conscious. I am drowsy though, and a little disoriented. I take a deep breath in and realize it's because the IV in my arm is dripping morphine into me. I yank it out and stand up on wobbly legs. My eyes seek out a clock. It is nearly three in the morning.
Suddenly, light floods my vision as the door opens and Carlisle flicks the light on. I shield my eyes with my arms, but ever so slowly let them drop as I get used to it.
"Renesmee, darling, you need to be in bed. Healing. You're very banged up." Carlisle scolds lightly.
"I don't want to. I want to go sleep in my own room. I want to go to school tomorrow and forget any of this ever happened." I croak groggily. The memory of Jake's attack is repressed in my mind. I'm not going to think about it because it will give me nightmares and make me feel guilty at the same time.
"I know. And I wish you could. But I don't think you're in any shape to be going anywhere tomorrow."
"I have a date with Alec tomorrow though.."
"I'm sorry, Renesmee." Carlisle sighs.
"Look, we all know the morphine slows my healing down. If I stay off it and just endure the pain, by the time school starts I'll be in good enough shape to say I fell down the stairs or something."
"I suppose.. But you have to tell me if the pain gets to be too much. Okay? I don't want you t have to deal with that. And Alice and Rose will fabricate something in the meantime." Carlisle says. I smile and thank him and stumble out and down the hall to my room. I collapse in my bed and fall asleep nearly instantly.
The next morning I wake up with my whole body sore and throbbing. I ignore it though, rummaging through my closet and putting on black skinny jeans, a glittery tanktop that is silver at the top and slowly shifts through shades until it is dark grey at the bottom. I put a charcoal-grey jacket over it, some sparkly silver chunky bracelets, shiny silver earrings that somewhat resemble feathers, and short black heels. I am careful with the bandages, noticing just how many there are without my nightgown covering many up.
I step in front of the full length mirror to observe myself and have to hold back a scream of horror. My face.. It reminds me of Emily's face, Sam's wife. At one point, Sam accidentally phased out of anger in front of her.
Okay, well maybe I am exaggerating a little. My healing has mended the long scars that shred down the side of my face. Humans probably can't hardly see them. But to vampire eyes, I look like Emily.
I stumble into the bathroom, desperately trying to cover it up with make up. It's no use, and just makes it obvious I'm trying to hide something. I wipe the concealer off and sigh. I do smoky eyes today to go with my outfit, and leave my hair down.
I walk numbly downstairs. My family is all there, talking quietly. They stop when I enter the living room.
"Hey, Champ, how you feeling?" Emmett speaks first, forcing a casual grin while keeping his eyes off my scars.
"My whole body aches and throbs and I have a deformed face, but other than that I'm fine." I say sarcastically.
"The scars will go away Renesmee. And they're practically invisible to human eyes." Dad says as if he knows what human eyes can see. None of us know and of us all Mom would be the one to know most clearly. I glance briefly over at Jasper, who is blatantly studying the scars as if decoding an encrypted message within them while I carefully avoid staring at the jagged crescents that layer him.
"But the bandages are perfectly visible." I remind them, prompting for my story.
"Actually, some of those need to be taken off. I think they'll have healed by now." Carlisle says as he comes sweeping into the room. "Would you mind taking your jacket off?" He asks and I shrug it off, letting it fall to the floor. Alice rushes over, picking it up and smoothing it out, grumbling about how European-imported jackets should never be just thrown on the floor.
Carlisle gently pulls of many of the bandages on my arms, revealing minor scratches, cuts, and bruises. He doesn't even bother touching the gauze on my shoulder because that is where Jake bit me and it is probably pretty nasty. At least my jacket will cover it up. He takes off the one on my neck, and reflected in the window on the opposite side of the room I see a rather large vertical cut where Jake's claw really must have dug in. It is swollen and bruised around the cut in shades of yellow and blue.
"Are you sure that one should come off?" I ask.
"Probably not." He frowns, putting it back on. I sigh and sling my bag over my shoulder again, heading out into the garage. Everyone follows silently.
"You fell off a ladder." Rose says as we all head towards the Suburban.
"I what?" I glance back at her.
"You were helping Esme paint a room in our new house and you fell off a ladder, falling onto all the painting supplies." Rose smiles slightly, flipping back her glorious golden hair.
"Oh. Right." I open up the back door of the Suburban.
"What are you doing, Renesmee?" Mom asks.
"Er, getting in the car?"
"Hm, and we all thought you liked your birthday gift."
"Wait.. Are you saying I can drive my new car to school?" I ask incredulously. I figured they wouldn't want me to because of appearances.
"Of course." Mom smiles at me.
"I'm riding with Renesmee!" Emmett booms, running full speed towards my car.
"If you get so much as a scuff on my car I will kill you, Emmett McCarty Cullen!" I call out to him playfully. I run back inside, grabbing my key off the coffee table where I left it yesterday, and run back out. Jasper and Rose are sitting in the back seats of my car and Emmett has shotgun. I slide into the driver's seat and turn my baby on. It purrs to life and I slowly get it out of the garage. It moves so smoothly it might as well have been floating.
People stop and stare as I drive it by. It really is beautiful. I make a scene pulling into the school parking lot, sliding smoothly into one of the front spots.
Emmett, Rose, and Jasper get caught up talking about the engine and horsepower and other mechanical things I'm not interested in as we all get out. But I am, however, very interested in the dark-haired boy that is running up to me right now.
Alec's arms wrap around my waist as mine lock around his neck and he twirls me in a circle. He sets me back on my feet but I don't let go of my hold around his neck. He looks down in concern at the exposed bandage on my neck.
"What the hell happened?" He asks.
"I was helping my mom paint a guest room in our house and I fell off a ladder. I fell right in the middle of all our supplies. You have no idea how long it took to get that paint out of my hair." I groan. Rose throws me an appreciative glance at how nicely executed the lie is.
"That sucks, babe. Now what really happened?" He quirks one eyebrow up. Rose looks over wildly, obviously very startled.
"Alec, please don't. That is what happened." I convey with my eyes to stop pushing it.
"Okay, okay." He sighs. I smile up at him and pull him down, kissing him sweetly as a thanks. As I pull back, his eyes open slowly, looking a little dazed. That daze is thrown out the door as his eyes find the shiny piece of metal behind me.
"Holy sh-"
"Alec!" I scold.
"Sorry. But is this the.." He trails off, brushing one hand over the hood just as I had.
"Lamborghini Reventon." I say proudly.
"Impossible... Th-that's impossible. These things cost nearly two million dollars and only twenty were made. Ever."
"My family has some connections." I tell him evasively.
"I promised myself I would never ask this, but I have to. Your family is obviously loaded. You have a huge house, dozens of top of the line cars, and clothes that look like they just came off the runway. How? I mean, everyone knows your dad is an amazing doctor that has worked everywhere and we're lucky that he decided to settle here, and that your mom is an awesome interior decorator and re-modeler, but you guys live like royalty. I mean, with a family of nine, it just doesn't make sense at all."
"Alec, we haven't even gone on one date yet. I don't want to have to break things off already. I like you so much, but I can't be with you if you keep asking so many questions. Trust me, it's in your best interest to just let it go." I place one hand on the side of his face, my fingertips reaching a little into his soft hair. He leans into my touch.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so confused. I'll stop, I promise."
"Thank you. Now, come on. We're going to be late." I grab his hand, intertwining our fingers together. We head off towards my building. He walks me to French, and we pause again outside the classroom.
"So now that I'm being good, are we still on for tonight?" He asks, leaning his forehead against mine.
"I don't want you to be good, Alec. I want you to stop being so curious." I smile, running my hands through his hair.
"I think I can do that." He grins. As a crowd of people look back and throw us curious, confused looks, I reluctantly pull back with a sigh.
"What's wrong, baby?" He asks, eyebrows knitting together.
"I don't know.. It's just, we haven't gone on our first date yet, and we're already acting like we've been together for months. Is that weird?" I ask him, biting my lip.
"I don't think it's weird at all. I think it just the way you and I are. Sort of an instant click, you know. But I'm really sorry if you feel like I'm rushing things. I'll lay off, I swear." He says sincerely, taking a step back.
"Don't be ridiculous." I smile, stepping up close to him again. "I love it. It's just all really new to me. I'm sorry." I brush his hair out of his face, studying the color of his eyes that swirl with every shade of green.
"Feeling like this about a girl is really new to me." He whispers, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone.
"Is that suppose to imply you've felt this way about a boy?" I joke.
"You can never let me be romantic, can you?" He frowns in exasperation.
"Sorry, sorry. The opportunity was there, and I couldn't resist.. Romanticize away." I wave my hand passively just as the warning bell chimes shrilly.
"Too late. I have to go. I'll see you at lunch." He quickly pecks my lips and then runs off. Again, I watch the movement of his body as he leaves, then quickly find my way to my seat next to a talkative, bubbly Brooke
Alec and I sit together again at lunch, our chairs so close together it's practically like a bench, his arm tightly around my waist. He is deep in conversation with Drew, giving me a chance to grab a few grapes and his fruit-snacks off his tray. He always gets here before me and goes and gets lunch, while I never do.
I smash the empty packet of fruit snacks and shove it in my pocket, grabbing his bottle of water and chugging half of it. I reach into my bag and pull out a piece of peppermint gum and begin to chew on it.
Alec reaches down for his tray then, hands blindly fumbling for his fruit-snacks. He looks down, noticing some of his grapes, his bag of fruit-snacks, and half his water are missing. He looks back up at me accusingly.
"The fruit-snacks are my favorite part." He scowls, pretending to be mad.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I play the innocent card.
"Of course you don't. Oh yeah, wear something...durable tonight." He grins mischievously.
"Er, why?" I ask warily. I guess that throws out my red silk cocktail dress and ruby-encrusted heels..
"Let's just say, I'd go with more of a safari-theme than a five-star-restaurant theme." He chuckles. Yep, definitely no cocktail dress.
I couldn't press anymore information out of Alec, and he mostly responded with swift denials to all my curious questions, until finally I asked a question I've been wondering about that makes him pause, "Can I pick you up?"
He stops, deliberating for a moment. Usually guys pick the girls up, I've seen enough chick-flicks to know that much, but Alec doesn't turn sixteen until next month, on Halloween actually. How cool is that?
"I guess, but only because you have the coolest car I have ever seen." He grins jokingly. After school, he walks me down to the curve of the building. I begin to hug him goodbye, but he stops me.
"What's wrong?" I ask in confusion.
"Nothing. It's just, you don't have a family to hurry to anymore, right? They have their own car? And I walk home from school, so why do we have to leave so soon?" He smiles slightly, arms encircling my waist. I didn't know Alec walks home from school.. I guess that's plausible though.. Our house is just outside of the realm that would make it not absurd for us to all walk home. But Alec's being pretty close yet just far enough away, is in that realm. Funny I never noticed.
He does have a point though. The rest of my family took the Suburban today, and I know for a fact Rose, Jaz, and Em can fit in there with them. With no rush to leave, why not stay here with him? Have a little alone time?
"Hold on." I tell him, digging my phone out of my bag. I send a madly quick text to Emmett, my thumbs flying across the screen, telling him to just ride with the rest of our family because I'm going to be late. He responds with a simple acknowledgement.
"So what now?" I ask Alec, wrapping my arms around his neck, realizing this is way too serious for our stage of a relationship and wondering why it doesn't concern me a bit. Alec is easy-going, hilarious, and amusing. He almost always has something laid-back or entertaining to say or do. It's so easy being around him we've pretty much completely skipped over that awkward first stage that break many couples up. But Alec and I aren't a couple. Not yet. I mean, it'll take a few more dates to get us to that point. And then he'll have to ask me. That's how this whole process works, right?
Alec's lips break me out of my mind-babbling. They're soft and sweet, caressing my own. The thirst hits me with more force than usual. I need to hunt tonight before the date. Every cell of my being urges me to shove my teeth through his soft, tender jugular. The temptation is so much I honestly deliberate doing it.. But I quickly banish that thought, turning the sweet kiss into a lusty one so I can focus on this kind of lust instead of my blood-lust.
I knot my fingers into his hair, pressing my body against the curves of his. He presses me against him by my hips. He suddenly shoves me back against the wall of the building, rough yet gently passionate at the same time. I have to gain control of the action though, because if I actually did hit the wall abruptly, I would leave a dent.
The tip of his tongue gently glides along my bottom lip, asking timidly for entrance. I open my mouth, but force out my tongue into his mouth. Last thing I need is for his tongue to get nicked on one of my dagger-sharp teeth and start gushing blood. If that didn't cause suspicion from him, I'm pretty sure me sucking the blood up might.
"You think he's going to be too happy when he figures out that the girl he has been sucking face with is actually a blood-thirsty mutant?"
Jake's harsh words echo through my head. I cringe internally. Alec is never going to find out though. Once his curiosity becomes too much for me to handle, my family and I will be gone without a trace. I wonder how painful that is going to be.. If I think it's going to be painful now, how I am going to bear even the thought once Alec and I actually start getting serious?
I slide my hands down Alec's chest, feeling the muscles beneath. I pull back, knowing I can hold my breath longer than him so he probably needs some air now. He gasps for it, and I realize I held him in the kiss too long. But not even a full two seconds later and his lips find mine.
His hands run down my hips and onto my thighs. He hoists one leg up to rest on his hip, pressing my back even harder into the cold brick wall. His hands run back up my hips, then leave to tangle themselves in my hair, pressing my lips harder into his. Our tongues mingle together, the taste of him addictive and mouth-watering.
He begins to kiss down my neck, sucking ever so lightly. My heart pounds in my ears and my breaths are short and hot.
I push him back, my leg dropping from his hip and the pressure of my body being relieved from the wall. Alec looks startled and confused as he regains his balance. Oops. Maybe I pushed him a little too hard. I got a bit too caught up in the desire.
I hurriedly speak before he can ask hurt-filled questions, "I'm sorry. But I need to go. My family will get worried."
"Right, sorry. I got a little carried away. I'll see you tonight, 5:30." He reminds me.
"Let me drive you home, Alec." I offer. He wars with himself. Why are men so obsessed with their pride and ego?
"Alright." He says at last, grabbing my hand. We walk down to my car, and I fish through my things until I find the silver-heart keyring. I unlock my baby and we both slide in. Alec sighs happily as the engine purrs to life.
I drive him home, holding his hand the whole way, and he leans over and gives me a chaste kiss before getting out and running into his house. After he is safely inside, I speed off, going much faster than I did when Alec was in the car. His safety is a huge concern of mine, and his reputation. I can breeze out of this town whenever, but he stays here. If the cops pull me over for driving like a maniac, and see Alec is with me, probably looking a little high from the elation of speeding in a car like this, it will soil many peoples' thoughts of him. And if I smash us into a building or run us off a cliff, I walk out with bruises and cuts and maybe a fractured bone or two that mend themselves within a few days while his family has to go coffin-shopping.
I shiver at the thought.
I arrive home, and run upstairs before my parents can bombard me with questions about my whereabouts. I sing a Taylor Swift song in my head to block Dad out. It's called Sparks Fly, and I notice how perfectly it describes Alec and I right now. But I can't dwell on that or Dad will hear me.
I change into a pair of old sky-blue cotton shorts and a plain white t-shirt. I run out, loving this random bout of humid weather. I head into the forest, but pause half-way across the backyard. The ground is stained red. Obvious signs of a violent struggle are there – large gashes in the ground, odd-shaped indentations.
I look down at myself, noticing all the white, gauzy bandages covering me. I had forgotten about them even as I got dressed. I sigh, and continue on into the trees. I take down two elk, satisfying the thirst enough to get by with Alec tonight. I head back and up to Carlisle's study.
"Good afternoon, Renesmee. How are you feeling?" He asks, setting down the book he was reading.
"Still pretty sore, but a lot better. Do I have anymore bandages that can come off?" I ask him hopefully.
"I believe so. Let me take a look." He appears in front of me, carefully peeling off some of them on my arms. There are small scratches and some yellowing brusies, but not much more. He takes off the one on my neck, and leaves it off this time but I can't see what it looks like now. He kneels down, removing the bandages from my legs, which is a little awkward considering there are some pretty high up on my inner thigh. But Carlisle has been a doctor for centuries, he knows how to minimize the awkwardness between him and his patients. He keeps a professional air about him and never falters.
"Your arms and legs look good, except right here." He points out part of my upper right arm. I remember that arm being locked in Jake's jaws. There is a scar there, clearly that of teeth. "I don't know if human eyes will be able to see it, but we can't cover it up forever so I'm gambling here. Also, his claws got you pretty bad on your stomach and back. Bandages there need to stay." I remember being tackled from behind and pinned down.
"Thanks, Carlisle." I smile and peck his cheek before hurrying out of the room. I go take a shower, putting a robe on after I get out and heading into my closet. Alice joins me.
"Are we going for sexy dance party," she holds up a hanger with a shiny, metallic blue dress that looks skin tight and super short, "or formal dinner." She holds up a knee-length one-strap white dress.
"Neither. We're going for safari." I smirk at her startled expression.
"Safari?" She repeats incredulously. I nod, not knowing anything else. "This boy has taken even me by surprise. He's a keeper." Alice winks at me. "Well, it's a good thing I keep us stocked for every occasion. This was in case of the off-chance your father allowed you to come to Africa this summer with Jasper and I." Alice murmurs, rummaging through the very back area of my closet, a place I hardly venture to. I usually find something before I get there.
She pulls out three things. None are what I would prefer to wear on a first date. I end up choosing a short white sleeveless dress with a corset-like top and a khaki-colored belt that goes around my waist. It has an olive-green hat that goes with it, which I decide not to wear. Alice finds me a pair of brown leather boots that come up to just below my knee. They are fashionable, yet she swears they're durable, and they're heelless so I choose to believe her.
I sweep my curls up into a ponytail that spirals down to a few inches below my shoulders. Alice inserts a thick white headband. I put on a few cosmetics – lipgloss, mascara, and eyeshadow. I grab a khaki-colored purse and put my cell phone, some cash, and my car key in there.
"What the hell are you wearing?" Dad asks as I come downstairs. I flounder there helplessly like a fish out of water and Rose comes to my rescue.
"I think she looks very cute. Where is he taking you, the zoo?" She asks, her red lips curving into a smile. Hm, the zoo. I hadn't thought of that. But it is perfectly plausible.. Now I feel silly in what I'm wearing, but I know Alice would never allow me to change. She doesn't pass up the opportunity to be unique, even if it isn't her personally.
"I don't know yet. It's a surprise." I smile back at her.
"That dress is way too short, way too tight, and way too low cut!" Dad rants.
"It's fine, Edward. Calm down. Let our little girl go." Mom places one hand on his arm, smiling lovingly at me, and for a moment I wonder if she means let me go to get Alec, or let go of the child I have grown up from.
"Thanks, Mom. I'll be home by eleven. Bye, Dad." I kiss his cheek quickly. I wave bye to everyone and then run out into the garage. I head to Alec's house, calling him to tell him I'm here. His phone is off.
I sigh and turn the car off, stepping out. The neighbor boys are out, and they pause to look at me. They probably are wondering what the hell kind of odd outfit I'm wearing. Well, actually, what I'm wearing now isn't that weird. Normal teenage girls probably wear this kind of thing all the time. I just feel odd in it because I know it's safari themed and I feel like Indiana Jane.
I give them a small little wave which none of them return. I hurry my pace and knock on Alec's door. I wait a few moments, and then the door opens. It's Adrianna, with Alissia standing behind her shyly.
"Oh, hi there Carlie." Adrianna smiles warmly at me, widening the entrance to allow me in. I take a few steps inside. "You look very cute." She compliments.
"Nice to see you again, Adrianna. And thank you." I smile back at her.
"Hi Carlie." Alissia says timidly as she comes out from behind her mother while still clinging to Adrianna's long skirt. She looks paler than last time I saw her.
"Hi Alissia, how are you?" I smile kindly at her. Her arms are very bruised up, and she has dark circles beneath her eyes. She looks super tired, abnormally so for such a young girl.
She shrugs, almost sadly, and then looks up at me, eyes having a new sparkle in them, and asks giddily, "Are you and Alec in love now?"
I pause, not sure what to say. I'd tell her anything to keep that lively sparkle in her otherwise worn out eyes, but I don't want to fill her with false hope. Thankfully, Alec saves me by jogging down the stairs.
"Of course we are. We're going to get married and live in her castle and have six kids and rule Imaginary Land." Alec comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. Alissia, not catching onto his teasing, gasps happily.
"Kiss her, Alec, kiss her!" Alissia begs as if she is watching a real-life fairytale unfold. Alec suavely turns me around and kisses me. The passion in this kiss is enough to make me forget where we are, until he pulls back and I recall I am right in front of his mother. I blush bright pink and look over at his mother and sister. Alissia looks like she could die, and Adrianna watches with soft eyes.
"Come on, Alissia. Let's go take your medicine and let these two go." Adrianna picks Alissia up, and I realize she looks even thinner than the last time I saw her. I grow concerned as Adrianna walks away. Alec opens the door and we walk out.
"I'm liking the get-up, Safari Carlie." Alec grins, eyes roaming me appreciatively.
"Alice couldn't resist." I explain with an eye-roll.
"Well tell her I said thank you." He chuckles. He opens my door for me and then walks around to his side. I start up the car and pull out of his neighborhood. He begins to give me directions, talking about how it's a good thing I don't know this state at all so I can't know where we are going.
"Pfft, boy, please. I do know this state. Just not this part of it. I was born in the north." I tell him. I explored every square inch of the north on foot, actually, while keeping the elk and deer population in control during the no-hunting season.
"Really?" He glances over at me in surprise.
"Really. I was born in Forks. But we went on to Canada soon after." I explain. Finally, we pull onto a drive with a sign showing we're heading into the Woodland Park Zoo.
"Knew it." I murmur under my breath. He chuckles. The parking lot is nearly vacant though.
"Isn't the zoo closed right now?" I ask, a sinking feeling entering my stomach. My first date ruined because he couldn't check out the closing time?
"To everyone else. But it is still very much opened to us. My aunt owns the place."
"Are you serious?" I exclaim, looking over at him in shock.
"Mhm. She agreed to take us into the exhibits of some of the non-aggressive animals." He smiles, very proud of himself.
"Do you take all the girls here?" I tease as we park.
We get out, and he comes and grabs my hand. "You're the first, actually." He says, and the honesty in his voice makes it clear he's not lying. The butterflies swarm my stomach, and I'm glad they haven't gone away even though our relationship has moved up from just a crush. I kind of like them now.
Alec and I walk up to the front gate. There is a lady with nearly-black hair, tan skin, and moss-green eyes. She is wearing a full-on khaki safari outfit, making me feel not so ridiculous. She looks just like Alec.
"Uhm, Alec, why does she look like the older, female version of you?" I whisper to him.
"That's my biological aunt. Adrianna made sure I kept in touch with her after I was adopted. She was too young to adopt me when my parents passed away, and I'm perfectly content with my family now." He shrugs.
"Do you keep up with the rest of your family?" I whisper.
"Other than her, her husband, and their three kids, there isn't any others. My grandparents passed away before my parents did." He explains. Before I can say anything more, Alec's aunt opens the gate and allows us entrance.
"Alec, it's so good to see you!" She hugs him tightly, holding him as if she is afraid he is going to float away.
"I've missed you, Aunt Vanessa." He hugs her back just as tightly. This is Alec's last fragment of his former life, she must be so valuable to him.
"And who is your lady friend?" Vanessa looks over at me, keeping one arm around Alec.
"Aunt Vanessa, this is my date, Carlie Cullen. Carls, this is my aunt, Vanessa Northrup." Alec introduces us.
"Before you get all formal, let me tell you to just call me Vanessa. It's great to meet you, honey." She laughs, pulling me in for a squeeze.
"You too." I am a little surprised and hug her back mechanically.
"So what are we doing today? Swimming with the gators or wrestling the apes?" Her grin is identical to Alec's, confident yet care-free, and she looks game for either of those.
"I was thinking we should start Carlie off with something a little less...life-threatening." Alec offers.
"Hm, you're right. She looks like a red panda kinda girl." Vanessa agrees. Alec laughs lightly, grabbing my hand as Vanessa leads the way. We walk past many exhibits featuring exotic animals, some of which have other zoo members tending to them.
We enter a quiet exhibit filled with fir trees. I am uneasy being in a wild animal enclosure yet not seeing any wild animals..
Vanessa pokes me on the arm and I nearly leap out of my skin. Alec begins to crack up and Vanessa puts her hand over her mouth to muffle her giggle. I blush furiously. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just going to say that one there is named Riley. She's my favorite." Vanessa points to a log about twenty feet away. I hadn't even noticed the red creature laying fully stretched out on it with its legs dangling off.
It's little black eyes crack open, disturbed by the intruders. I tense up, but Vanessa walks slowly over to Riley, making sure not to startle her. She scoops her up gently, carrying her like a dog. She looks more like a cat to me, and nothing like a panda. She has glossy red fur, a fox-like face with brown tear tracks running from her eyes to mouth, a super long, bushy tail, white-bordered ears, lips, cheeks, and muzzle, and short legs that fade into chestnut-brown.
"She's the calmest," Vanessa tells me as she comes closer, stroking Riley's head affectionately. "Even now, when they're still suppose to be asleep. They're nocturnal."
"She's beautiful." I murmur. I hold out one of my hands to her face and she sniffs it, only partially curious, then relaxes in Vanessa's arms again. I guess that means I've passed the test. I run my hand along her head and down the length of her body. She feels like silk. Alec comes next to me, letting her sniff his hand though by the way he is cooing her I'm sure he has met her before, and then pets her alongside me.
"I think now is the perfect time for a picture." Vanessa smiles, suddenly handing Riley over to me. She weighs nothing to me, considering I have inhuman strength, but I take a step back just for show. Vanessa pulls a camera out of her bag, then looks back up at us. "Oh, Carlie, she's nearly as big as you! Alec, help her out." Vanessa instructs. Alec gently takes Riley from my arms, and I pretend to relax as if a huge load has just been taken off of me.
"Okay, get together." Vanessa holds her camera up, angling it at us. I have taken at least a billion pictures in my lifetime. I am an expert at PASE, or posture, angle, smile, eyes. Every time we take a picture at home, Rose shouts 'PASE everyone! PASE! Don't forget to PASE!'
Alec holds Riley up so she'll be sure to be in the picture. Her head faces towards the camera with a passive, sleepy look. I wrap my arms around Alec's waist and lean my head on his shoulder, but not all the way because that makes my face and throat look weird. I smile my best picture-smile that I perfected before my second birthday, and make sure not to squint my eyes. The camera flashes, and Alec and I relax. He sets Riley down and she scampers back over to her log.
We leave that exhibit and head over to Riley's neighbor the Pudu. There were two of them out in the open, but I don't know if others lurked in the shadows. They looked like tiny little deer with fur in the shade of brown-sugar. They sniffed our hands and allowed us to pet them, and Vanessa took another picture of Alec and I kneeling next to a very frightened one, who tore off for cover when the camera flashed, but we still got the picture.
We stopped and looked at the alligators submerged in murky water, elephants, who were being herded into their housing, and tigers, their eyes gleaming in the fast-approaching night. I love tigers, they're magnificent. Once Vanessa realized this, she declared excitedly, "I have something I know you'll love!"
We take off across the zoo and into a small little facility. Vanessa takes us through a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY and begins to talk, "We have a remarkable jaguar exhibit, and recently had our female jaguar mate with a jaguar from a zoo in California. It was successful, and she gave birth to four cubs, which is a miraculous number. But something went wrong in that head of hers, because by the time we got there she had killed one and didn't seem too eager to be sharing space with the others. They're blind and helpless that young. We quickly removed the cubs, and brought them here. They're now able to see, and play, and walk around, but we have to feed them at regular intervals for the next five months. We don't know if we're going to allow them to join their mother ever again, but the chances aren't likely."
As she opens one of the many doors we pass, I realize we're going to see jaguar cubs. I get excited, peering over her shoulder anxiously. There is a small enclosure where three beautifully-marked tiny little jaguars are awake but lounging around lazily. They look up at us with no fear at all when we enter the little space behind the exhibit barred off by a floor-to-ceiling fence. Vanessa opens a little door in the fence and oddly enough, they all go to her. I guess they associate her with food. Whenever humans come around, they get to feed.
She picks one up and hands it to Alec, then another and hands it to me, and takes the last for herself. She tells Alec he has a girl and I have a boy, and Alec frowns. "Switch me." Alec demands.
"Why? Yours is cute." I look at the little cub in his arms.
"If you think so, then switch me." He smiles slightly. I roll my eyes, handing mine over to him and taking his. He fondles the new cub in his arms. "You're my little man." He tells the cub while scratching behind its ears. We took another picture, big surprise there, with both of us leaning against the fence to the exhibit, Alec's arm around my shoulders and mine around his waist, our other arms holding the cubs.
We visited the reptile enclosures next, and Alec made me hold some of them. I've always had an irrational fear of snakes. We took pictures with a few snakes, an iguana, and a toad, then hit the bird exhibits. I actually held some, and so did Alec, and of course more pictures were snapped. Vanessa could almost compete with Rose and Alice in being the most picture-happy person in the world.
We went back towards the mammals, visiting so many exhibits I lost track of them all. I'll be reminded later by all the pictures taken. At around nine thirty, we decided we've seen all the animals we can handle. Alec sits down on a bench outside the Grey wolf exhibit, and motions for me to sit next to him. I sit as close as possible, snuggling into his side. His arms wrap around me.
"You're amazing, Alec." I murmur, eyes closed. "This was the best first date ever. I'm never going to forget it."
"I hoped I could find something you would remember. I feel like if I make memories with you that you won't forget, and leave tracks in your life, and give you things to remember me by like stupid bracelets, then maybe you won't disappear in a puff of smoke like I always feel you're going to." He whispers against the skin of my neck.
"I'm not going to disappear. I'm not going to go anywhere." I make a promise I know for a fact I can't keep. No matter how many everlasting memories we have, one day I am going to disappear and he will never know why. He's too smart to believe the generic lies – Carlisle got a great job offer, Esme wanted somewhere sunnier. We vary between those two.
"When are you going to learn I always know when you're lying? But at least now I know it's true. You are going to just vanish into thin air." He hides his pain well, but I can sense it as well as he can sense my lies.
"I'm sorry." That was all I could think to say. "But I have a while. Let's make the most of it, alright?"
"How can I make the most of it when you're facing the wrong way?" He asks, a smile in his voice, and I smile too. I sit up and look up at him. He is smiling, just as I suspected. He leans down, pressing his lips against mine. I place my hands on the back of his head, pressing them into his glossy hair. He keeps his arms wrapped around my waist.
A camera flashes, and we both jump back. Vanessa is there, grinning from ear-to-ear, causing me to blush faintly. "That one was beautiful." She informs us, the begins to walk down the sidewalk away from us.
"I guess it's time for the last part of our date." Alec grins mischievously, grabbing my hand and pulling me up and down the pathways. We get to a round building with a straw roof, modeled to look like a hut. Alec leads me through the double glass doors. Vanessa is inside, back in the kitchen from the sounds of it.
"Sit here. I'll be right back." Alec says, pointing at a bar stool sit in front of a granite counter. I sit down as he rushes through the kitchen doors. A minute later and he returns with a clear liquid in a glass cup with a straw. He hands it to me and I take a sip. It's Sprite, my favorite carbonated beverage.
"How did you know?" I ask him with a small smile.
He shrugs. "I saw you drinking it at Alissia's party, so I just figured. Now wait here, I'll be back." He runs off again. I sip at my soda for about five more minutes until Alec returns. In his hand is a round plate with a simple grilled cheese and some fries.
"Made by yours truly." He informs me, sliding the plate in front of me. "With a little help with the fries from Aunt Vanessa."
"It's a very nice grilled cheese." I laugh, though the cheese is dripping out from the edges and the bread is slightly burned and the whole thing looks smashed.
"I know, I know. Now eat up." He instructs. I take a bite, carefully avoiding the oozing cheese, and find it's better than expected. He grins at my pleasantly surprised expression. He goes back into the kitchen and returns with an identical plate of his own.
I eat half the sandwich and most of the fries, hungry from all the walking and such but not that hungry because I hunted before I came. And it really did pay off. The thirst has been there, but at bay. Alec eats every last morsel, getting defensive and explaining he is a growing boy when I realize he had two sandwiches on his plate and ate them both along with double my amount of fries.
Alec takes our plates and glasses back to the kitchen. Vanessa and him both emerge a few minutes later, laughing with one another. I try to picture Vanessa in an older form, say, Adrianna's age. Her hair not so long and just overall envy-creating-ly gorgeous, more trim and professional, with a streak of gray interrupting the silky black. Her green eyes a little older and more experienced and knowing, some very light laugh lines instead of tanned smoothness. When I get the image in my head, I can almost see Alec and his mother laughing together, joking around, exchanging playful banter.
Alec takes my hand, causing me to lose the image of him and his mother, and we all three head into the parking lot. Vanessa gives a low whistle at the sight of my car, and makes Alec take a picture of her and I in front of it.
We say goodbye to her, exchanging hugs, and then Alec and I get in my car and head home. It's ten, which means we have plenty of time to get home. Alec and I don't talk much on the drive home, we mostly listen to music.
I pull up in front of his house at about a quarter til eleven. He looks over at me, eyes soft and sweet, saying quietly, "This was the best first date of my life. And it's not because of what we did or anything. It's because of who I was with." Admittedly, it was a little corny. But, hey, I'm a teenage girl. A little corny is good, especially when said with such sincerity.
"Me too. I had a great time tonight." I tell him. He unbuckles his seat belt, but doesn't get out. Instead, he unbuckles my seat belt, and I understand what he wants. I pull it off, and then lean across the middle console. He meets me halfway, his lips gentle yet hungry.
His hands grab my hair and I push him closer by the back of his neck. He opens his mouth slightly, and I slide my tongue in. The kiss isn't as hot as the one back at school (I don't even know how that one got so out of control) but it is a million times sweeter. I didn't even think kissing could be sweet with tongue involved, but Alec made it so.
We pull back after around a minute. Alec's heart is beating erratically, and so is mine but he – hopefully – can't hear it. He is struggling to gain a normal breathing pattern. "Good night Carlie." He says, then gets out of the car. I watch him get inside and then buckle my seat belt once again. I get home about five minutes before eleven.
Rose, Alice, Esme, and Mom are all in the living room waiting for me to get home. They press for details, and I gush over every minute of the night, my heart beating fast just thinking of it all.