ABERRATIONS

Oh great! I was here, stuck with my mom in Santa Paula, and that too…. In the middle of the Valentine's week. I mean not even the middle, just at the end. I couldn't even talk to anyone back at La Push just because my cell phone had gotten washed back with my jeans and I didn't remember even one number and I could just talk to Paul. Another thing was that he wouldn't let me talk to Brady and so even with anyone else so that I didn't think he was trying to irritate me. I was really missing Brady. After all today was 14th of February. I was here just so I could get my mark sheets, certificates and the other stuff. Now, for me, it had started getting really difficult for me to remain away from La Push. Okay… I mean Brady. I was right now in the gift shop and mom and I were searching for gifts for all. Mom was done with all the others gifts but Brady and mine were left. Mom still had got no idea about him, so I guess this wasn't a deal. I picked an old but thick book seeing which everyone would again call me a bookworm. The title was 'THE OLD LEGENDS OF MAKABAH TRIBE' that sounds interesting. . (An: Don't think that it's the wrong spelling of Makah tribe, it's a new tribe that I'll introduce in this and the following chapter) For Brady, I later picked up a t-shirt from the next store. It was blue and I knew Brady loved blue color.

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NEXT DAY, BACK TO LA PUSH

Paul had come to pick me up and dad had to leave me back but he couldn't stay back home as he had some work somewhere. It was just Paul and Rachel. Seriously? Just the two of them? Not Brady? I thought he would have come but no, I guess I was flying a little high in my day dreams. We went to the car and after trucking in my suitcase, Paul turned on the engine.

"So, you enjoyed?" Rachel asked.

"Precisely." I replied.

"Today's again a bonfire." Paul said.

"That sounds great." I replied not excited much.

"Brady said…" Rachel was saying but I almost jumped at the name, so the next phrase she spoke got drained. "Yeah, his brother." She completed.

"Oh!" I tried to sound interested.

"So you got your certificates and the other things?" Paul asked.

"Yep, this could help me with scholarships in future, you know." I said looking out of the window. I was dead tired and I needed rest after the flight. I kept my bag near the side and sat in a comfortable position to sit and in a few minutes, I dozed off while Paul and Rachel were busy discussing about Sam and Emily's new born baby – Eva. She was born just when I wasn't there and I had got a gift for the little baby as well.

"Cass, we're back home." Paul shook me and woke up.

"Good morning!" I said rubbing my eyes.

"It's evening." Rachel declared.

"I'm up just now, so doesn't matter." I said and looked out of the window. Brady was taking out the suitcase from the back. I just flung open the door and almost flew to him.

"Hey!" he said when I fell straight onto him hugging him as tight as I could.

"I'm back." I said and he almost picked me up from the ground.

"I missed you." He said.

"Me too. I couldn't even call you earlier. I left my charger here, back at La Push and my cell, just don't ask about it." I said. He put me on the ground and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Why? What happened to it?" he asked.

"It got washed in the washing machine with my jeans." I said. "Yeah, it was a bit old though."

"You still don't have a new one?" he asked worriedly.

"No, mom got me a new one but it's still packed." I said.

"Hello? Any help here?" Paul called out to Brady to make him carry the suitcase.

"Oh c'mon! It isn't so heavy!" I replied and we went into my house.

"Back home!" Paul said.

"Well, home sweet home." I said and Aric came to me. He wiggled near my legs and I caressed him. The world cutest puppy was Aric… Okay, make him the second cutest after Brady. I went upstairs to get a shower. I made it in not more than fifteen minutes because I was just so excited to see the others as well. I threw on a red tank top with black skinny jeans and went running downstairs.

"Hey Cassie!" the whole puppy pack was there in the living room. There were the puppy pack's imprints but much to my luck, not that bitch Megan.

"Hey guys!" I said.

"You must've got us something, haven't you?" Ethan jumped.

"Yeah, how could I forget you guys? I have a whole bag full of gifts like Santa Claus." I said and took the bag from the couch. All of them were done, well all except Brady. He had a look on his face that showed that these gifts really didn't matter him.

"We're going back to the beach." And the flood of the wolves emptied from my house except Brady.

"You do this every time you get back from Santa Paula?" he asked taking a seat by my side.

"If I don't, then I'll be the victim of the taunts." I said.

"Do you remember the day today?" he asked.

"Well, we went on our first date on 3rd February, so I don't think it's kinda anniversary thing." I said.

"No, of course not. Well, wait a second." He said and I don't know where he disappeared. Right, I was left with that cute blue shirt I got him and then he reappeared.

"Happy valentine's day." He said and got me a big wrapped box. It was covered with a red shiny gift paper.

"Aw Brady! Here, happy valentine's to you too." I said and gave him my box.

"What's it?" he asked.

"Tear it open idiot." I said and started tearing mine and so did he. I discovered a peach colored teddy bear with a red bow and a blue detachable box on its stomach. Aw! The box was filled with chocolates.

At the bonfire, I met baby Eva. Her skin was just the same color as Emily's and her eyes resembled Sam's. After the legends, we decided to play truth and dare, the puppy pack of course. Yeah, that bitch wasn't playing. She was helping Emily with Eva. The game went on though a bit idiotically and then in the last round it was Cole's turn. He took a dare and his dare was the most dangerous one that Nathan had given him.

"Kiss Hayley." Nathan commanded and here Seth started shaking.

"No way. I'm not freaking going to do that." Cole said.

"You get the punishment then." Ethan said and we chuckled.

"He's not even going to touch her." Seth announced.

"Just on the cheek, please?" Nathan asked. I covered Seth's eyes.

"Cassie, get off." He shouted and till the time Cole was done and even Hayley didn't get enough time to react. I opened the cover.

"All done Seth!" I laughed and here, Cole set to run. Seth went after him and maybe they phased too. I turned to my left and then I spotted Megan. She had seen the hell of this game and she was furious. As I knew since the very start, that Megan could never be calmed down the person she felt that had done the mistake and right now, it was Cole. She ran into Sam's house and this time, I didn't know why I felt to calm her down. I ran after her.

"Megan stop!" I shouted.

"Stay away from me you bitch!" she shouted back.

"Listen, you don't know what happened there!" I said as she went into the porch and stopped.

"It's all because of you." She said.

"But what's my fault?" I asked.

"It's all your fault." And with this, she fell on her knees.

"Meg, you okay?" I asked softly kneeling over to her.

"Just stay away from me." she said and then, in that second, I could hear gurgles from her chest. What was this happening? I moved back and blinked. In that very second, she turned to a white and black pawed wolf. It was as if saliva had dried up from my mouth. I was so near to her. I got up to run and I was left almost dumb. She did run after me and then, I stumbled over the fence and hit my head straight on a large boulder which caused everything around me to turn black.

As soon as I heard Brady's voice, I regained conscious. My head was in his lap and he had placed an ice pack over it. Damn! It hurt a lot. All because of that bitch but yeah, she was hurt.

"Hey guys, she's conscious now." Brady told the others but it still took me time to start my senses accurately. I groaned in pain. That boulder was big enough to almost kill me down.

"You okay?" Seth asked.

"Do you think she could be okay after hitting her head straight on a boulder while trying to run from a new shape shifter?" Brady explained. That was a long explanation though.

"Well, almost." I replied.

"But what caused her so much of annoyance?" Cole asked. "Guys, she isn't even talking to me, although she has imprinted back on me."

"The Hayley thing." I said weekly.

"Baby, how're you feeling?" Paul asked.

"I'm okay but how's Megan?" I asked and almost all of them gazed at me. "What?!"

"No, nothing." Brady said.

"You're asking about Megan Wood, the bitch." Seth said and Cole cleared his throat deliberately.

"Sorry." Cole said.

It was morning time by now. I guess I had had enough of my sleep and I had missed school today. There was a purple bruise on my forehead but I knew it would be fine soon. I went to Sam and Emily's to help with Eva as Megan was yet not in her human form and Leah was trying to help her. Later, we came to know that Rodrick had imprinted on baby Eva.

NEXT DAY

So today, I had no excuses to miss school. We literally had to tow Rodrick to school from Sam's place. As again, Megan's enrolment was done in our school and she had gone to school last week when I wasn't there. Today even she wasn't going to school; well she wasn't going until she had gotten a good control on herself. The whole butterfly clan was still upset with me but I didn't really care much now. I had got the old book of the legends to school as I was reading it last night and it was far more than interesting. I decided to read it in my free time. I held up the book in recess time and then the class next. I learnt about the Makabah tribe. It was somewhat like out Quileute and Makah tribe and they too descended from Spiritual warriors but they were different. In every generation, there were four of them who were elementalists. These elementalists could control the four elements of earth – fire, water, Air and land. The one who controlled fire used to be the most powerful of the four and could sometimes also control other elements other than his own. That was just too awesome in a way. There was someone even more those filthy leeches. I wondered if these were really true, as even our spiritual warriors were true. I still remembered the day when I discovered what Paul was. It was some two years ago, when I first met Paul.

*FLASHBACK*

I was sleeping in my room in Santa Paula and Paul had come to meet us there. He was living in my room but still he seemed a bit disturbed.

"Dad! I can't live here!" he had shouted.

"Paul, you need to adjust with your sister!" dad told him.

"It's not that she is a problem, but you now dad… about the shifting thing!" Paul replied.

"What shifting thing?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Nothing, sweetie. You don't need to wake up. Go and sleep." Dad told me.

"But daddy, bro said shifting thing." I said. "What is it?"

"It's just nothing. Don't worry. He's talking about his shifting here." Dad seemed a bit confused.

Later, the same night, Paul jumped out of the window and I followed him into the olive orchards. He was talking to someone on the cell and later he crushed it and turned into a large sized dog and because of that fear, I fainted.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Today was the day, when we had decided to spring this up on Hayley. She had been to our two bonfires and she had too written the legends but today, we were to see what was going to be her reaction.

We all were at my place and Seth was ready with his clothes in a bag. This was going to be a little funny, I guess. Hayley, Seth, Brady and I went deep into the woods. Seth was trying to make her remember the wolf stuff and Brady and I were chuckling secretly.

"Hayley, there's one thing that all of us have hidden from you and you need to know this now." Seth said and went to a distance.

"I bet she'll run away." Brady whispered.

"I guess, she'll faint." I guessed.

"What is it?" Hayley said and in the same second, Seth phased. Hayley's eyes widened for a while. She then ran to farther off distance and then fainted. I ran to her and made her regain conscious. She tried to get up.

"Where's Seth?" she asked.

"Hale, that's him." I pointed to Seth. Okay, I giggled because Brady and I both won in the bet.

"Can I touch him without the fear that he would not chew me up?" she asked in a shaken voice.

"You could even ride him if you want." I said.

"Collin, Ethan, Nathan, Brady and all the others are too shape shifters?" she asked.

"Yep, we all are. Seth, man you could phase back!" Brady called out to Seth but he shook his head as I had assumed.

"Where are his clothes?" Brady asked.

"I thought he carried them here." I said and there was a round of laughter. As I knew, he forgot it.

"Seth, stay like that for a while. I'll get it for you." Brady said and we three ran back to my place. Brady turned on the TV and sat in front of it.

"Seth must be waiting for you." I said.

"Let him wait for a while." Brady replied.

"Oh I get it." I said and watched TV with him for a while. I guess that had been enough of waiting for the poor Seth.

"Brady, I guess it's enough now." I said.

"I don't think so." He replied.

"Brady?" I said in my sweetest voice.

"Okay, I'm going." He said. This was the best weapon I had against him. Whenever I said Brady like that, he would do anything I wanted him to.

Next day, I was again a bit late according to my alarm clock. I was hustling fast. I took a shower and got changed into a red tank top with a yellow strapped underneath with blue denims. All of them were waiting for me downstairs and after my breakfast, we ran to school. I had read another chapter of the same book last night. Gosh! It was just so interesting.

It was third hour by now. I was sitting in the library reading the same book. I had ditched my history for it today. Just then, a girl named Kayla Bishop who was in my Chemistry came to me.

"Cassie, Mrs. Fletcher is calling you in the chemistry lab." She notified me and went away. It was in the middle of the hour, so there weren't many students in the corridor who would see me out if the class and say –"Cassie, you are ditching the class!?"

Of course a normal human being has to ditch one class in his or her school life. I walked down the corridor and reached the chemistry lad but… there was no one there. How could it be possible? Just then, I heard the door closing from outside. Okay, this was getting somewhat scary now! I banged the door but then, I smelt something burning. Oh my god! The switch board. It was burning. Then went the fire alarm. I looked around but there was no extinguisher! What was happening? Who had done this? The fire went from the switchboard to the circuits. This was definitely scary.

(BRADY'S POV)

The fire alarm went at around 11:30. All of the students rushed out of the school. Where was the fire actually? I saw Seth and the others, all together near the trees… all except… Cassie? Where was Cassie? I ran to them.

"Guys, did anyone see Cassie?" I was dead worried now.

"No, we thought she was with you in history." Seth said.

"But she ditched history and she was in the library reading the same book." I replied.

"But the students who were in library came out the first." Hayley said.

"No way." I said.

"Where's the fire actually?" the girl Kayla Bishop who was in our history, said.

"They said it's in the chemistry lab." Ethan said.

"Mrs. Fletcher called Cassie there!" she shouted. I looked through the crowd of students but none of us saw her. Slipping in the corridor, I ran to the chemistry lab. Seth and Nathan ran after me and tried to stop me. The fire fighters hadn't arrived yet. I didn't stop at all. I searched in through everywhere but I couldn't find her. Then, I went to the same lab.

It was locked from outside which meant she could have been inside. It was so smoky and there was fire all around. I tried to break open the door and fortunately it was weak, so it opened very well. I looked around and it was so much if fire around but at the end of the room, there was a cupboard that had fallen down and there, the fire had made a boundary kind of a wall. It was like a corner wall trying to stop the other flames to touch that cupboard. What kind of a phenomenon was this? I tried to go closer and saw that it was Cassie under that cupboard and it had fallen on her. She was surrounded by the fire. I slipped in through it and pushed the cupboard aside. It was way too heavy for her and maybe it had even hurt her. There wasn't even a small burn mark on her skin fortunately. I tried to shake her to wake her up. She moved her eyelids and there was a trace of her eyeballs. Wait, had they just turned violet from blue? I carried her outside in my arms.

Then, the fire fighters arrived and took her from me and then took her to an ambulance outside. Seth and I went after them as we were not allowed to go with them. This was getting crazy and I just wanted to see her okay. Cole had called Paul already. The main thing I was thinking was the color of her eyes.

"Where is she?" this was Paul's voice and by his tone, I could tell that he was afraid as well as angry.

"She's inside." I replied.

"I'll go get to the doctor." He said and disappeared to the doctor.

He returned after some minutes. I wanted to discuss about the same topic, the color of her eyes.

"Doc says she's alright." Paul replied.

"Paul there's something that's not alright." I said.

"What? What do you mean? The doctor just told me she's alright." He said.

"Paul, it's her eyes. They're not blue, they've turned purple." I replied.

"Brady, is your brain in the centre? Her eyes, blue from purple?" He said.

"If you don't trust me, go and check her." I said and we went to her room.

"If you're just doing this to disturb her from having rest, I promise I won't leave a bone in your body unbroken." Paul replied and tried to lift her eyelids. Her eyeballs were violet, not blue but the color was decreasing and the borders were turning dark blue.

"See, I told you." I said.

"This is definitely not normal. I'll call Carlisle. Maybe he can help because this is just not normal." He said and called Carlisle.

Carlisle arrived in half an hour or so. Cassie was still not in her conscious. This was getting crazy now.

AN: There is a secret behind this. Any guesses? Do review.