A/N: True to my word here is another one! Enjoy!

Chapter 17

Annalise's POV

Four years later….

My eyes flutter open. I stretch out of my bed and I walk to bathroom. I take a quick shower; once I'm done I go into my closet. Since I became a mature half-Vampire I have these curves, a butt and perky boobs that girls would kill for or so Heaven says. Not that it mattered. I can't leave the house, I'm not even permitted to hunt on my own. They don't trust me. But I have proven myself that I wouldn't go back; to protect my true family. Whatever I say always goes through one ear and out the other.

I hold up a black shirt but it makes me even paler. My skin complexion is pale with small cute freckles in my face. My hue is a constant blush; it's natural. I apply foundation and a little powder, and blush to intensify it. My gray eyes big with a hint of red. No longer Topaz. A constant reminder I'm no longer a Cullen anymore. I'm a monster.

I settle for some black skinny leather pants with a beige peplum top with elegant lace at the top, no sleeves. I leave my light brown hair with a hint of blond down in beach waves. At the end I line my pouty lips in a red blood lip stick and put on a pair of cute pearl earrings. Heaven has encourage this type of clothing. And I do it but not for her, for Momma. She used to wear stuff like this and I feel close to her by doing so; anything I have to do to remind me that I'm doing all of this for a reason.

I walk up to a drawing I made of Momma, Daddy and Embry. I hide behind the closet mirror. I try not to shed a tear. "Good morning." I whisper and close my eyes to imagine them there. I kiss the paper.

I open my eyes as I hear a footsteps. "Ready? Father says breakfast is ready," Axel walks into my room. I can hear him sitting on my bed.

"Yeah. I'll be out in a second," I fold the paper and hide it again. I slip on my beige pumps with a six inch heel. I look at myself in the mirror but I don't seem to recognize the one staring back at me. I walk out to see him in dark jeans and a black dress shirt, always looking fresh and nice.

"You look pretty as always," He always compliments me. He said he'd try anything to make my day better. Anything to make me smile.

And I do. I smile appreciatively. "Thanks and so do you,"

"Pretty? I prefer handsome," he raises his perfect eyebrow and smiles. I hit his arm playfully. He is the only one I let some emotion be shown. The only one I let part of my old self. Things just aren't the same.

"Children, please come down," Heaven calls out. Like a robot programed to do whatever I'm told, I follow her commands without complaint or without hesitation. I couldn't bring myself to listen to Axel scream in pain as they broke his legs in three different parts, making me watch, just because I didn't follow the easiest commands. Or when the beat me up almost to a point I couldn't move because I was caught telling Axel about my real Momma, Rosalie. Axel was taken by Richard as Heaven did a number at me. After that I vanished all the feelings I had left. I will smile occasionally with Axel but it all seems staged.

Axel and I run down the long stair case and we end up in the dining room. Richard and Heaven are seated on the ends of the table. Six men are tied up by the table looking at us in horror. This is normal, everyday. That's how we eat our prey, in 'family'. Heaven stands "We have important news." I see Richard roll his eyes. That makes me intrigued.

"You two are going to school," my ears perk up. School? I keep my poker face, my mouth silent but inside I'm jumping in joy. I get to leave this house and from the nearby woods. I know I won't be able to go to my family but at least I get to leave this hell; for a little while.

"When?" Axel asks perplexed.

"Today. Your Mother said it was time. " Richard answers. I sneer internally when I hear him call Heaven my mother. She has no maternal bone in her body.

"Yes. Well you two are enrolled in East North High School. You Scarlett are a junior. Axel is a senior," she fills us into the whole background story. Our parents died and Heaven and Richard adopted us in Ireland. We moved here because of Richard's job. I mean it's not a complete lie, we are descended from Ireland. Richard was born in Dublin, Ireland in the year 1600 so we sort of look the part. Richard said that if they ask more than necessary then he'd kill them. Leave it to Richard to ruin a moment.

"Dig in,' Richard's favorite line. Without another thought we get closer the men with the look of horror on their faces. I close my eyes not wanting to see them fight for their life. Momma's teaching still present but I can't do anything; nothing that won't involve then torture of someone I love as a consequence. Axel knows about my hesitation to this part, he always places a body in front of me. I find my way with his pulsing blood calling to me and I sink my teeth in his neck. With my hands I hold down his moving body. I suck until I don't feel any blood.

I open my eyes and step away. I wipe the few drops from the side of my mouth with my cloth napkin. The room silent; no longer screams for help invading my ears. Richard wipes the blood with his napkin as he reaches into his pocket. He throws something to Axel and he catches it. "Keys?" he questions.

"Yes, for your car," Richard says and walks away without another word.

...

Axel drives slowly in front of the school. Now that I think about it, the car is a little too much. All the students look at the car open mouthed. "Axel, do you think is too much?" I say looking at all the reactions.

He shrugs, "I don't care. And I think they're all looking at you sis,"

I look at him puzzled. "Me?"

"Come on. None of the girls I've seen since coming into the school parking lot can hold a candle to you. Besides if someone even tries to mess with me or you they're going to regret it." He shrugs like no biggie.

"You know I can defend myself," I state the obvious.

He chuckles. "Scar," I shiver at the nickname but I don't show it. It's all wrong, doesn't feel right "I'm still your oldest brother. It's my right," I roll my eyes as we climb out.

The stares multiply as Axel and I walk side by side towards the school. I'm not going to date my brother or anything but I know he is good looking it doesn't take a wizard to know that. He passes his pale long fingers over his brown locks and I think I saw girls literally swoon.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" I smirk.

He returns it. "Yeah, they're like putty in my hands,"

I shake my head and sigh heavily, well here goes nothing. We reach the inside and students stop doing whatever they were doing to stare. Axel and I effortlessly walk across the hallway with hundreds of eyes on us. Students leave the middle open for us, which makes me feel weird. I swing my designer book bag strap over my shoulder as we continue to walk.

Making it into the office makes me feel better; less eyes. Axel charms the secretary and she gives us the classes with great ease. I smirk looking at my schedule: French, World History, Advance Mathematics, Lunch, Gym, and Chemistry. Seeing all these classes can fill a human with dread but I feel ecstatic. Axel and I have Gym together so that should be fun.

"See you in gym. Please don't make boys fight over you," he jokes.

I punch his arm playfully. "And you don't make girls cat fight over you," I warn pointing my finger at him squinting my eyes.

"I'll try," he chuckles as he walks away. Bastard. But I love him. He doesn't let all this shit get to him. Not like me and for that I admire him.

With my high heels clanking on the floor I feel eyes on me but I don't pay them attention as I look at my locker combination. Thanks to my half-Vampire side I have great memory, ok more like photographic memory. I reach my locker and open it. I put in my book bag only taking two notebooks and a pencil with me. As I stand there I have like five guys try to hit on me but I ignore them all laughing at their tries. If they only knew what I was. What I could do.

As I walk into my class I'm a pro at ignoring the eyes that stare. "Hello Mr. Jack. My name is Scarlett O'Connell, transfer student." he peeks at me through his circle glasses. His eyes bulge when he sees all of me. I begin feeling uncomfortable but I keep the poker face I've perfected over the years. He is a fat man with bald spot and really creepy. The way he kept looking at me… I fight the urge to vomit.

"Um… Yes Miss O'Connell, welcome to Canada," I nod curtly and I find my way towards an empty chair crossing my long legs. Mr. Jack fidgets and bumps over his pencils cup. He fixes some papers that were about to fall and chuckles, embarrassed. He begins writing on the board with shaky hands. What is wrong with him?

I'm distracted by a girl in a cheerleader uniform, blond hair in a ponytail sitting next to me. I look at her as she stares at me with her green eyes. I stare her down with my hypnotizing gray eyes. I can tell she is feeling intimidated when I hear her heart beat pick up and she shifts in her seat. "Um, my name is Princess Queen, and yours?"

I raised my nicely made eyebrow. "Princess? Queen?" what an unusual name.

"Yes," she looks hesitant.

I stretch out my hand. "Scarlett Lux O'Connell," I say in my Irish accent. I know seven language because my Uncle Edward taught me many years ago. What is learned well is never forgotten.

"Where did you transfer from?" she asked noticing my accent.

"Dublin, Ireland." I keep my answers bleak to ease further questioning which I know she wants to continue.

"Cool," I can see many question racing by her eyes.

I roll my eyes. "We moved here because of my Father's job." I lay out.

"Oh," is all she says when the teacher begins his lesson.

I take notes on this boring lesson that I learned three years ago. Wow, humans are very… just slow learners. I begin moving my eyes around the room, bored. I catch the eyes of a guy with dark color hair, brown eyes, and a sly grin. He seems like a nice fitting guy but seems too cocky for my taste.

"That's Matt James. You should go out with him." Princess whispers. But for me it felt like she was talking normal, my family whispers way lower than that.

"I pass," I say in my normal tone.

I hear her gasp but ignore it. "No-one has ever denied Matt," she mumbles to herself with a frown.

"You didn't?" I ask knowing the answer already.

Her frown depends. "No." she stays quite for a while. Then clears her throat like she said too much already, "But we're friends now." Her cheery-self returns.

As the bell rings I take my stuff in my arms and stand. A girl in front of me almost falls but balances herself. It must not be great to be human; always clumsy. I get blocked by Matt. He is trying too hard to impress with his crooked smile. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't carry heavy stuff." he says seductively.

I look down at my notebooks then at him in confusion. "They're just notebooks,"

"I can carry them for you. Then... Walk you to your next class?" I see his game. It not going to work. My poker face still intact.

"Oh hey Matt, I see you've met my friend Scarlett," Princess comes from out of nowhere. Wait did she say friend? I barely met her.

Matt looks mad for the interruption but he raises his eyebrow. "Friend? Well it seems I have," he smiles at me a dazzling smile. For some reason I'm not interested at all.

"Well, I'll go now," I say walking around him and straight ahead. Matt catches up to me standing next to me. I see he opens his mouth to say something but I interrupt. "Look, you seem like a nice guy but… you're not my type," I shrug and keep walking leaving Matt with an open mouth.

As I walk flawlessly through the hallway I overhear a conversation that almost stops my heart. "Did you hear that the author is making another one?!" The brunet girl gushes.

"Another one!" The red head jumps happy. "He could keep going. I love his books."

"Yes. And they say this one is going to be epic. Our hearts in one!"

"Oh did you see the movie for the first one? Solemn heart?

"Yes! I LOVED it!"

I hug my notebooks close. What I wouldn't give to have Nessie here with me. I cry inside. What did I do to deserve this?

I stop when I see a little commotion up ahead. Two giant girls are screaming at another girl that is small I can really see her. They are tall and buff; I would be sacred if I was human but I know I'm stronger. As I approach with my half-Vampire eyes I see a small girl, tinier then my size look at the big girls in horror. "Give it to me Haylee," One of the big girls sneers.

"N-no, I said I wouldn't," I admire her courage but I see she is no match.

One of the big girls balls up her fist and it is in air to punch the small girl in the face but I jump in and catch it in mid-air. I squeeze it with my strength and I see she's in pain. "How does it feel to know you're not strong enough to beat me?" I ask glaring with my gray-red eyes. I know I'm thinner than her but I know she noticed the strength I have by me squeezing her fist. I see the other girl react and I move away in time to see her fist fly past me. With my knee I hit her stomach, as she leans down clutching her stomach I knee her in the face still holding the other girl. "Is it fun to be in pain?" I ask with my Vampire rage tone.

The number two giant is grunting in pain, clutching her nose. The other one stares at me in confusion. "Who are you to treat us like that?" she spits.

"I'm just a girl who is defending this girl. Who are you to treat her like that? I know, somebody who is probably beaten to death at home and comes here to prove you are worth something when we all know you're not. My shit is probably worth more," I hear a lot of gasps around me. I see her other fist coming towards me but with my other hand I catch it. Holding both her fists I push her to the floor. As she's in the floor I lean down and I take her in a choke hold. "Don't you ever bully anyone ever again or I will make you pay…"

I release my hold on her. I fix my shirt. I walk to my stuff calmly. Holding my notebooks in my arms I walk to my next class as if nothing happened. I feel horrible doing that to her but being beaten a lot myself I couldn't let it go by. I'm surprised there was no security guard; no-wonder there's bullying here. I pass by where the commotion happen and I don't see the girl anymore; well I hope she's alright.

I sit on an empty chair in the class that looks similar to the previous one. People look at me gaping. What? I wasn't going to stand and look at them terrorizing her. Can't they accept that and get over it.

"I can't believe you just did that," Princess is obviously having fun about his. Where does she come from? She just keeps popping out of nowhere.

"Yeah well I don't do well when I see people frightened." I say remembering my own fear as they kidnapped me; hit me.

"Whatever." she says completely dismissing what I had say. Like it had no significance. "That was just epic," she gushes as she applies some pink lip-gloss with a small mirror. I roll my eyes. Of course she only cared about the show I put on instead of the poor girl who probably had to suffer through that every day.

I turn to the door in time to see the girl, I think named Haylee, walk in with her head hung low. As if she was scared that if she looked up then the big girls where going to be there. She wears a jersey of the forty-niners and some baggy jeans with some white tennis shoes, dirty at the front. She quickly finds her seat throwing her bag in the floor next to her.

I roll my eyes again when I hear Princess talk something about a fashion show; and after a minute she keeps mumbling on but my eyes haven't left Haylee's. I stand completely ignoring her questions to what I'm doing and I walked to Haylee. She sits at the front, chair closest to the window. Her gaze fixed on the rain drops rolling down the glass as it pours outside. I can see she is million miles away in her thoughts.

I sit next to her wondering what a fragile girl like her, obviously gentle and kind, could be mistreated like that. "Are you alright?" I ask after a few seconds have passed. Class still hasn't begun because our teacher hasn't arrived. She jumps up softly startled by me. "I didn't get the chance to ask you. You were gone," She fidgets in her seat. Her finger twisting her honey tone hair in a tangled curl, signs of nervousness. Her big round glasses with a red frame slipping down her thin nose as she looks me like if I'm an alien; a deer in headlights. With her other finger she pushes her glasses back to where they belong as she swallows; biting her lip. "My name is Scarlett. And yours?"

"Haylee Allen," she gives me a shy handshake and peeks at me through her eyelashes.

"Scarlett O'Connell," I say when I realize I didn't give her my last name. I really wanted to introduce myself as Annalise Cullen but…. I shake my head trying to hold back the tears. I look back at Haylee's hazel eyes, almost honey like her hair. "You didn't answer my first question,"

"I'm good. Thanks to you," her eyes still wide as if she's waiting for me to transform into a disfigured alien.

I chuckle softly. Not trying to frighten her more. "You don't have to be scared of me," I reassure her.

"You beat up the biggest girls in this school, by yourself. And looked like didn't break a sweat. Of course I'm scared of you," she whispers to me. Voice trembling.

I sigh. I look down at my desk and frown. "I had to do something." I finally say. What am I doing? Am I about to open up to someone I literally just met? But there something about Haylee that I know I can trust. "The look of absolute terror in your eyes… I can compare to my own. I saw my fear in your eyes," my gaze still fixed in the nice finished wooden table.

"What?" she asks surprised and confused.

I look at her and give a small smile. "Look, it's a long story," I sigh, a long story indeed. "But I wish someone was there to help me,"

Without turning around I smell the strong smell of coffee and the crisps shoes walking towards the classroom. "Turn to page 80 and begin reading. When I say stop we will have a pop quiz," The teacher pronounces. Leaving Haylee's face I look at the front as he sits his short frame in his chair. He sighs rubbing his eyes with his fingers obviously tired.

I feel a warm hand over my left one. "Thanks," I look back at Haylee and for the first time I see her smile. I smile back and open my history book.