Chapter 10

After Demetri had left, I sat on my sofa, reflecting on how much my life had changed in this past week. A clear goal now occupied my mind, and it felt refreshing to have a sense of direction. With eternity ahead of me, I could explore as many careers as I desired. Contemplating the years to come, I thought about what I might enjoy doing. Nothing specific jumped out at me yet, but that's what college was for—figuring out my passions and interests. One thing I knew for sure was that I would relish the opportunity to travel the world. As a vampire, it seemed like it would be quite easy. Leaning back, I closed my eyes, envisioning all the remarkable places I would one day visit and the breathtaking sights I would see.

I pictured myself running through the desert, moving at the speed Demetri had been running. I saw myself picking up a giant boulder and throwing it beyond the eye could see. But I knew that once I became a vampire, my reality would be different. So, I changed it up and pictured myself walking through an enchanted forest, a place that seemed more mystical than real, like something out of a fairy tale. As I strolled through the forest, I came across a small European village, reminiscent of scenes from Robin Hood. In my daydream, I imagined myself approaching a criminal, but suddenly, uncertainty gripped me. Would I know what to do as a vampire? The vampire version of myself was just standing there. Shaking myself out of the daydream, I smiled. I was sure the reality of being a vampire would be nothing like my imagination.

I decided to think about the future, allowing my imagination to roam freely. I pictured myself in Times Square, joyously celebrating the turn of the century, and to my delight, Demetri was there, standing beside me with a warm smile. The idea of living long enough to see the year 2100 seemed almost unimaginable.

As my thoughts wandered, I envisioned a futuristic scene of flying cars and highways in the sky, reminiscent of the movie Back to the Future. It made me smile, realizing that the real future with flying cars would likely be quite different from what was portrayed in the film.

Curiosity struck me, wondering if my immortality would grant me the opportunity to witness humans traveling to space, perhaps seeing colonies established on the moon or Mars. It was fascinating to ponder what the world would be like hundreds of years from now.

Yet, as I tried to push my imagination even further, attempting to envision thousands of years into the future, I hit a mental barrier. My mind couldn't grasp the enormity of such distant realities, and I realized it was best to focus on the present. The future, with all its wonders and mysteries, would take care of itself when the time came. For now, I would embrace the current moment and savor the experiences that life had to offer.

After my pleasant day dream, I decided to check over the house and ensure it was presentable. Demetri and I had been quite active in almost every room, and while I didn't believe we left many signs of our trysts, it was probably best to double-check. I grabbed several wet rags and diligently wiped down anything that looked suspicious. My sheets, unfortunately, bore several stains, so I quickly stripped the bed and started a wash.

For the past several days, I had been feeling great and full of energy, so I decided to make good use of it and clean the rest of the house. As I finished the task, I found myself covered in dust and grime, prompting me to head straight to the bathroom for a refreshing shower.

Stepping into the shower, I let the water cascade over my head and body, enjoying the sensation as I relaxed and let go of any lingering tension. My mind wandered to Demetri, and I couldn't help but wish he was still here with me. He had always known how to make me feel relaxed and at ease. But I understood that he had his own life to return to, and I reminded myself that our time together had been magical but temporary.

After the relaxing shower, I slipped into some of my new clothes. Among the items I had purchased were several dresses, something I had never been fond of wearing in the past. Nevertheless, I decided to try one on, opting for a cute blue dress that stopped several inches above my knees. Completing the outfit, I put on a matching blue top. As I twirled around, admiring my reflection, I couldn't help but feel like a different person altogether.

That night, my mom finally came home. When Phil dropped her off, he quickly popped in to say hello before heading home to pack and get some rest for his early flight the next day. Phil would be moving in with us once his road trip ended in a few months, and that was something I would have to get used to. After he left, I sat down with my mom on the sofa.

"How was the honeymoon, Mom? Was Hawaii everything people say it is?" I looked at my mom, and she seemed genuinely happy, which made me glad.

"We had the best time, Bella. The beaches, the dancing, the sex—it was the best honeymoon I could imagine." My mom beamed as I smiled back at her.

"I'm so happy to hear that. Tell me all about the beaches and the dancing." I emphasized, laughing. I had a hard time getting the smile off my face. I had missed her, and there was so much I had to say but couldn't. Hearing her happy tales would have to be enough for our reunion.

My mom paused, staring at me. She finally said rather suspiciously, "You look good, Bella. I love your outfit. Is it new?" She gave me a thorough once-over, adding, "I don't think I've ever seen a smile on your face that looked so genuine. How was your vacation?"

"Yes, I did go shopping for new clothes. Thank you. I had the best vacation, Mom," I replied, trying to choose my words carefully. I hadn't planned on sharing anything about Demetri with her at all. Talking about him with my friends was one thing, but discussing my sex life with my mother was an entirely different matter. Though, I must admit, my mom is a bit unusual in that regard; she's never been shy to discuss hers with me. Lost in my musings, I must have taken to long to respond, and my mom interrupted my thoughts.

"You met someone, Bella! Admit it. I know that smile," she said, beaming with excitement, clearly happy for me. Little did she know that my week was spent with a vampire. "Come on, honey, tell me everything. I've been hoping you would break out of that shell you'd encased yourself in for years."

I blushed, and my mom's smile grew even wider. "Okay, okay, I met someone. Are you happy? His name is Demetri, and he is a college student studying overseas. He was just here on vacation. We hit it off, and, well, we spent the week together. He left to go back to Europe this morning." I tried to keep the details brief, hoping my mom wouldn't press further. What I said sounded good. Nothing supernatural with that description.

"Ohh, I'm so glad to hear that. How was the sex? You don't have to go into details, but was it everything you were hoping for? I hope you used protection, honey. We never discussed getting you on the pill, but I think we should now."

Okay, maybe my declaration didn't satisfy her. "You know I don't like talking about myself, mom. I'll just say that the sex was amazing, better than I ever thought possible. We did use protection, and I guess I should get on the pill for the future just in case," I explained. She did have a point. After the last week I had, I'm going to want to try and get it on with a human, and well, I certainly did not want a baby in the mix. That would put a crimp on my vampire plans.

"I'm so happy for you, dear. You don't know how lucky you were to have a good first time. Mine was horrible," my mom chimed in.

I interrupted her, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Mom! I don't want to hear about your and dad's first time. Please."

"Who said anything about it being with our father?" Well, that threw me. "Before I started dating your father, I had the misfortune of meeting a boy named Mike Newton. Let's just say after that night, I always referred to him in my head as 'One Minute Mike.' I last saw him at your playgroup before we left Forks. He had a son who he named Mike as well. Mike Jr. was always pulling your hair. Nasty little boy if you ask me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Well, do not fear. It felt like Demetri could last for hours." Might as well make her happy after hearing her tale of first-time woe.

"Do you have a picture of him on your phone?" she asked excitedly

Hmm. I didn't take any pictures of us together. Now that I think about it, telling my friends that I met a hot European guy who looked like a supermodel, and we fucked all week long, but I had no evidence to back up my claims, sounded pretty sketchy. "Sorry, I didn't take any photos. But he was real," I emphasized.

"Oh, I know, honey. Trust me, you can't fake that smile on your face."

I told her a few innocuous details and then diverted the attention off me, asking her about her honeymoon again and what she saw and did. We spent the rest of the night talking, with her showing me pictures on her phone and describing all the beautiful scenic locations Hawaii had to offer. It really did sound like she had a great time.

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed, and I was more than ready to get to school. I truly felt like a different person, and as I got dressed, everything felt right with the world. It was an unusual feeling to have since I usually dreaded Mondays and going back to school. I glided into the kitchen, had my usual pop tart and orange juice, said goodbye to my mom, and headed off to school. When I arrived there, everything was the same, but somehow it either felt different, or maybe I felt different. It was hard to determine.

As I walked through the crowds of students, I smiled at the people I knew. My head was clear during Algebra. Math was one of my weaker subjects, so I was pleased I had understood what the teacher was going over. I dreaded gym class as usual, but luckily, I just made the motions in the soccer match, and no one tried to pass to me. I didn't even trip on the field, which I thought was an added bonus, especially as I was wearing one of my new dresses. Finally, lunch period arrived, and as I went to the bench where my friends and I usually sat, I was bombarded with questions from Sandy.

"Oh my god, Bella. Who was that stud I saw you with at the mall this weekend? I saw you and him shopping in Victoria's Secret of all places! I didn't have the nerve to go say hi to you. He looked like an adult. Spill it, Bella," Sandy exclaimed excitedly, while Amber and Chrissy looked on in amazement, nodding their heads. It seemed that claiming Demetri was real wouldn't be an issue after all.

I thought of a story that seemed believable. "Well, after I left your place last week, Amber, I met him on my way home. He was having car trouble and happened to stop in front of my house. As you saw, he had to be the most attractive man I had ever seen, and we got to talking. Then, I invited him in to wait for AAA. To my surprise, we hit it off. We... well, we spent the whole week together."

"Wow, Bella. A man. And you invited him into your house. Weren't you afraid he was a murderer or something?" Amber exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Please. No one that good-looking could be a murderer. His name is Demetri, and he was just here on vacation. He goes to college in Europe," I responded, trying to sound convincing as I giggled internally. That logic made sense.

"Tell us everything, Bella. Did you do it?" Chrissy asked with a gleeful look in her eyes.

I felt more comfortable being open with my friends than with my mom. "Oh, we did it all right. Pretty much for the entire week, in every room in the house. He taught me so many positions, things I had never even heard of. All I can say is it was the best week ever."

All three of my friends squealed with excitement. Amber was the first to regain her composure. "You lucky bitch. Give us some more details. Sandy said he was beyond gorgeous. How was he in bed? How big was it?"

I was relieved to finally be part of the conversation. Gossiping with my friends had always been uncomfortable for me before. "He was like a god in bed. He could literally go for hours. I even blacked out once because the orgasm was so powerful. And to top it all off, he was massive." I used my hands to indicate his size. All three girls gasped. It was clear that none of them had been that lucky.

"You guys, he was absolutely incredible. He was smart and funny, we had such a good time together. But the sex, I mean, it was mind-blowingly amazing. Everything we did was just... wow. I couldn't get enough of everything he taught me. It was like a whole new world of pleasure." I blushed slightly but couldn't hide my excitement.

My friends wore dazed expressions on their faces. It took a while before they could formulate sentences again, but after a few more descriptions from me, we thankfully moved on to their vacations, which unfortunately for them, had not been spent with a European sex machine.

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