Chapter 8

One of the last things I would have ever expected to see on my couch when I came out of my bedroom on a beautiful Saturday morning is Gabriel Black. The freaky high schooler that had the bitchy ex-girlfriend that also happened to be my friend's bitchy older sister.

Still wearing my pajamas, I shuffled down the hall and into the kitchen, only too see his whole stupid head turned towards me and staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Morning Ellie, mom made you some cheese eggs, grits, and bacon. It's in the microwave." Emi was sitting next to him on the couch, her rosy colored laptop on her thighs, typing away mindlessly.

"'Morning Ellie." Gabriel smiled at me, wide and genuine, making a small blush appear on my cheeks. I looked a mess, my tangled curls piled on top of my head, my face still blotchy on one side from sleeping on it, and I was still wearing my worn or pajama bottoms that had little snowmen on them. My eyes were wide, and I tugged at the ends on my faded green t-shirt.

"What are you doing here?" I muttered, my voice still scratchy and groggy from the deep sleep I was previously in. I was up late the night prior on the phone with Marie and Ash; I was beginning to let them in on the plans I was forming against Candace, and the two of them were more than happy to help me seek my revenge.

"We have a project. Pretty crappy that they gave us a ten page paper in October, but what can you do?" Emi didn't even look up at me; she leaned in closer to the screen, her glasses sliding down the smooth bridge of her nose.

"Hm." I was avoiding eye contact, and I think he knew it. Something about him made me nervous. I walked over to the microwave and grabbed my plate and started to head back to my bedroom.

"Nope, sit at the table." I let out a small groan.

"Why_" I did a sharp whine and Emi scoffed.

"Because mom doesn't want you eating in your room, you make messes." I could feel the heat in the tips of my ears and I shuffled back and forth on my heels. I didn't know why I was getting so embarrassed.

"I don't_"

"Ellie, I'm just telling you what mom said." I huffed and pulled out the wooden kitchen chair, flinching as the legs scraped against the linoleum floor. Gabriel seemed to flinch too.

"I think we should take a trip to see my uncle. He knows all about this stuff." Gabriel stretched , towering over Emi. He kept glancing over at me, and to avoid eye contact, I stared down at my plate.

"I'm sorry. I have to watch Ellie_"

"Why don't we just bring her along. I'm sure they wouldn't mind. They're visiting here for a while. It would be better than visiting the library." I glanced up just in time to see Emi considering it. My eyes widened and twitched with distress.

"I can just stay here, thank you very much." I stabbed at my breakfast my eyes connecting with Gabriel's forest green orbs.

"Absolutely not_" God she sounded so much like mom "Mom would kill me if I left you home alone… Remember the time when_"

"Yeah, but I'm a changed woman. No more girl scouts, no more money, just an honest student life for me." I saw Gabriel's brows furrowed in confusion, but I didn't stop to clarify.

Emi snorted, and shook her head.

"No, I'm not leaving you here."

"How about I get you lunch for your trouble Ellie?" Shit. It was like he knew I was food motivated. I scrunched my nose a little and prepared to decline again when Emi made the decision for me.

"Are you sure that your uncle can help us?" Gabriel smiled and nodded his head.

"I already asked him just in case." Emi set her computer on the couch and hopped up with the gracefulness that only a ballerina could have.

"Alright then, lunch is on you, Ellie get dressed." My mouth gaped and I tried to protest, but Emi just shut me down and pointed to my bedroom, indicating that I needed to get dressed for the day.

That is how I ended up sitting in the living room of the two most unnerving and unnaturally perfect individuals of my young life.

Gabriel had been so very gracious as to let Emi take her own car, so piling up into her camry, we made the 20 minute drive into the heavily wooded area outside of Forks. With only a few huffs from me in protest, I just laid my head on the cool glass of the car window as Emi and Gabriel chatted back and forth absentmindedly.

"Now my Aunt and Uncle are a bit younger, so don't be too shocked when you see them. We had driven down a long driveway that seemed to go on for miles. At the end of it, surrounded by dense woods there was a small, but beautiful house with an equally beautiful young woman waiting on the front porch

She was waving and nearly jumping up and down with excitement. As we pulled in, she dashed from off the ivory painted porch and dashed to hug Gabriel, who was just getting out of the car.

"Hey Alice, it's nice to see you again." She smiled, so wide it took over almost every other feature on her perfect face.

"I was so happy when I saw you coming, it's been way too long." Her gaze flickered over to me and Emi who were just starting to get out of the car. "This must be Emi and Ellie!"

Every single sense that I had instantly went off and the hair on the back of my neck began to stand edge. I glanced over at Emi, and despite the fact that she was smiling and reaching her hand out to shake, there was a wary look in her eyes as well.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Hale_"

"Please, call me Alice! Now come on in, both of you!" Emi reached down and linked her arm in mine, pulling me close. I could feel Gabriel's gaze, but when I glanced over at him, he looked away.

Inside the house was warm, but not uncomfortable. The living room was quiet, but decorated lively, with warm colored finishings and lovely paintings on the wall. Sitting on one of the cream colored couches, was a young man with blonde hair and the same perfect, unsettling face as Miss. Alice.

"Hello Gabriel." I could hear the accent in his perfect honey voice. It sounded similar to the one my mom tried so hard to hide. "You two must be Emi and Ellie." He stood up, and reached his hand out to shake.

Emi grasped his hand, but pulled away instantly when they made contact. She brought her hand to chest, and cleared her throat.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't expecting your hand to be so cold." The man retracted his hand, a strange expression forming on his face.

"That's alright, I take it you're not a huge fan of the cold." Emi shook her head, and a sudden wave of calmness washed over us. "You're here because of a project on the civil war, right?" Emi nodded, some of her dark hair falling from behind her ear and framing her face.

She had to have sensed it. That uneasy feeling that was being pushed down by something else.

"Yes sir."

"Let's go into my office, you can stay in here and watch television if you like Ellie." Emi hesitated, squeezing my arm harder before letting me go entirely.

"W-Wait, you're gonna leave me?" I didn't mean to whine, but it slipped out. My eyes widened, and I fought the urge to reach out and grab her.

A warm, heavy hand suddenly grasped my shoulder, and I turned over to look at Gabriel. There was a soft expression on his face, and he gave me a kind smile.

"You'll be okay out here Ellie, Alice and Jasper don't bite." There was a small snort and a chuckle from the man, Jasper, and I looked down at my scuffed Mary-Janes. "I mean, unless you wanna spend the next two hours learning about the civil war." His voice was warm and reassuring, and another wave of calmness washed over me, but this time it was more… natural.

"Don't worry Ellie, I'll be back here if you need me." Emi spoke slowly, but with confidence. She looked at me with calm eyes, and I let the tension finally leave my body. I nodded my head, and began to play with the tips of my hair.

"I promise you, you'll be okay." Gabriel spoke again, and placed his large hand on my head and ruffled my hair. I snorted and moved away from the touch, attempting to fix my hair.

"I know I'll be okay, I just didn't think I was gonna be dragged on a 2 hour field trip today." I crossed my arms, and Alice laughed. It sounded like millions of little bells and it made me jump.

"You're funny Ellie, here, let me get you a snack." She reached out for my hand, and I instinctually pulled away. She didn't let it bother her though, she beckoned me further into the living room while Emi and Gabriel followed Jasper into a back office.

Alice was strange. She was bubbly, kind, and reminded me a lot of Ash and Marie. She spoke a mile a minute, doing her best to get me to speak and open up to her about anything and everything. Honestly, it was strange to me how much everyone in this town wanted to know about our personal lives… Maybe that was just a small town mentality.

She led me to the waaay too perfect kitchen and prepared me a glass of water. Everything was spotless, there wasn't a plate or glass out of place, and it reminded me of my dad's kitchen back at home.

Home… That wasn't home anymore, was it?

I felt another wave of sadness fall over me and I tried to wash it down with the glass of water that Alice prepared for me.

"It's okay to be nervous in a strangers home. I guess I do come off a little strong." She smiled at me, and I tried to give her a small smile back.

"I-It's not that. I just… um, I'm kinda tired." Not a lie, but not the full truth.

"Well that's okay too." She winked at me, and I knew she didn't believe me. She gestured to the kitchen and smiled at me again "Did you want a snack? We have chips, fruit, and crackers… I just went to the store this morning!" She moved around the kitchen in a way that reminded me of Emi; she was on her toes, similar to a ballerina.

"I'm fine." I watched her movements, somewhat mezmorized. "Did you ever dance?"

She looked over at me, with those intense golden eyes and nodded her head.

"I've been known to dabble, why do you ask?"

"Oh.." I played with my hair again, tugging at the dark curls. "Well, my sister used to do ballet. She hasn't danced since we moved here." I didn't know why I was telling her this, especially since I just met her.

"Emi seemed like a dancer, she walks on her toes." Alice sat down next to me, and I could feel the waves of cold that seemed to pour off of her. If Jasper felt half as cold as she did, no wonder Emi pulled away.

I looked away, focusing my attention on the granite countertops and the reflection of light that was coming from off my crystal glass. I hummed gently, no longer knowing what to say to the woman next to me.

"So, how long are you going to stay here?" I glanced over at her, and she was staring at me with a rather quizzical expression. I shrugged my shoulders and hummed again.

"However long my mom's work tells her she has to be here. Six months… a year. I really don't know, she didn't specify." However long it takes her to decide if she's truly finished with my dad. I tried to swallow the large lump in my throat, but it wouldn't go down.

Alice hopped from off the seat next to me and grabbed the glass, pouring me some more water.

"Well, I hope you stay here long enough to enjoy it. Forks really does have some amazing things." Her words seemed… Double sided. I slowly sipped on the water. We were quiet for a moment until Alice cleared her throat.

"Let's go and watch some T.V."

Nearly two hours on the dot, Gabriel and Emi came from Jasper's office. They were joking and laughing like they were old friends, and I was left with a feeling of confusion. Didn't Emi sense the strange vibes that both Alice and Jasper gave off?

"Well it was nice having the two of you over. Feel free to come back any time." Jasper hugged Gabriel tightly, as did Alice. Emi reached over and shook Jasper's hand, while Alice reached over and gave her a large hug. Emi shivered, but didn't pull away.

"It was nice meeting you as well Miss Ellie." Jasper smiled at me, a small, genuine one, and Alice reached over to pull me into a hug. Froze, not just from the sudden contact, but from the feeling of Alice. She was hard as stone, and as cool as ice. I grit my teeth and tried to smile, but I'm sure it came out more as a grimace.

"I can't wait to see you two again." Her eyes twinkled knowingly and I cleared my throat.

"Um, thank you for the water." Emi wrapped her arm around mine, and began to lead me to the door.

"You guys have a wonderful day." Emi smiled again, and tightened her grip.

Gabriel followed behind us, saying a few last goodbyes to his aunt and uncle before heading out to the car as well.

"I hope that wasn't too awkward for you kiddo." Gabriel turned around in the front seat and smiled at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Alice was nice." He nodded his head.

"I'm glad you think so, she is my aunt." He really did seem glad… well not exactly glad, more so relieved. My eyes flickered over to Emi; she was focusing on the road, doing her best to navigate through the now pouring rain.

"So where did you wanna get lunch?" I shrugged, anxiety beginning to bubble in my stomach. Worry flashed across Gabriels face, and he reached back to grasp my hand.

"Are you okay?" I pulled away and nodded my head.

"Honestly, I'm tired… Can we have a rain check for lunch?" Emi's eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and I could tell she wanted to talk with me.

"Yeah, I just remembered my mom is supposed to be getting home early and I need to clean the house." She was lying, and I think Gabriel knew that too.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you guys want." The rest of the ride was silent and tense.

"They were vampires." Emi grimaced as she wrapped her heated blanket around her shoulders. After Gabriel said his goodbyes, Emi rushed into the house and locked herself into her bedroom. It wasn't until a few hours later, she called me.

"Vampires?" Emi nodded slowly and stretched her long legs.

"How do you know?" Her amber eyes flickered to mine and she sighed.

"Because I used to read dad's old books, remember. Back when he had me study runes."

"Holy shit. We gotta tell mom_"

"Absolutely not." Emi sat up in her bed and glared at me. My brows furrowed and I scrunched my nose.

"Why not?" I leaned against her door frame and began to pick at the paint with my nail.

"Because there are some things that she just doesn't need to know about, El." Emi snapped and I was taken aback.

"This seems dangerous_"

"No! Mom is just gonna tell dad and it's gonna blow up. I don't think they're dangerous…"

"Dad is gonna find out either way. He always finds out shit like this!" My dad had a sixth sense for danger, and if he found out we kept it from him, he would go ballistic.

"Dad won't find out if you keep your big mouth shut." I didn't know why Emi was being so hostile, but I could feel the tension in the air. Hot, dry, and static. "I don't wanna argue. Just keep quiet until I figure out what to do."

"Whatever." Grinding my teeth together, I turned on my heel and slammed her bedroom door. This seemed wrong and dangerous and I felt a blanket of guilt fall over me. Mom and dad needed to know, but I couldn't betray Emi's trust… Besides, she typically knew best.

I screamed again into my pillow, and stayed there until my mom came home from work.

*Alright, because it took me so long to update, and the last chapter was so short, I am pushing out this next chapter. I hope y'all like it! Please let me know how I'm doing and how y'all feel about the characters so far. Thanks for your reviews, it means a lot to me! Please keep reviewing!*

-XOXO RandomKay