I do not go straight back to the house. After all, there is still cause to celebrate, and the human gang from before still seem mightily tasty. So, why not take them? Rid the streets of a few rapists who only succeed in ridding the world of more humans for vampires to drink?
So, I went back to the alley. It was not hard to find the men, who had managed to capture another girl. Becoming my natural form, I swiftly but surely took them all back to the house, including the girl, whose experiences would make her broken anyway. No use letting her live and be miserable. And then I feasted, finally fulfilling my hunger that had plagued me that week.
It was indeed the weekend, which meant that I was no longer required to go to school for the next two days. Considering the fact that I was certain that the vampire clan would befriend me, now that Jasper has, there was nothing to compel me to continue studying them. Instead, to make use of the time, I focused on the mission instead. This basically involved me scouting out the town, seeing the types of characters who live here. As this town was small, I figured that the best place to start was the diner, a place generally associated with the more civilised.
The afternoon of the next day I put this plan into action. I walked into the diner, dressed casually. What I saw genuinely surprised me. For a place that was small, it sure sat quite a few humans. The colours of green and brown accented the forest that it was located next to, making the view out of the window wondrous and mysterious. So, a little bit like me: beautiful on the outside but a complete mystery as to what the creature holds. Especially since there was most likely quite a few blood-sucker inside the trees finding their next meal.
I asked for a table for one. Ignoring the pity stares of the waitress who was worried as to why I was by myself, I sat down and ordered a glass of water and a salad, that I would not eat. After the waitress left I scanned the unknown hopefuls in the room. On the table next to me was a couple, who I immediately recognised as being in the year above me in school. The boy was whispering into her ear in what I am guessing is in a sexual manner, based on the way he was gripping her thighs, and the girl was giggling profusely in response. No hope there. On the next table sat a group of elderly men who were drinking beer and discussing the good old days, as well as guessing at what naughty things the couple were planning. Definitely no hope there, or for the middle-aged man sitting right at the entrance. Now that it just depressing, or at least if I was human it would be. Indeed, the only likely candidate was sitting on one of the bar stools. This girl, who was in the grade below the one I was in, was pretty but incapable of seeing that based on what she was wearing: what can be called a bag. However, I could tell that she had a slight rebellious streak about her, based on the eye rolling and frowning she was sending the couple's way. Her hair was brown and wavy and her eyes an intense green that was further magnified due to the circular glasses she obviously needed. They were fashionably chosen, but at the same time sculptured her face perfectly. She was busy working on her laptop, where she was doing her Biology homework, but would continue to quickly flick to the internet, where she was intently studying the supernatural. Curious, pretty, rebellious yet not overly so, no real sexual drive. Perfect.
I stood up to approach her and question her. However, my plans for the night were spoiled due to the arrival of the pet. Excellent. All ideas of questioning the girl flew right out the window as I attempted to find a way to escape without her finding me. Yet all the plans backfired as she sat with the man I had mistaken for being a loner. A miscalculation that cannot happen again. As that table was right by the door, it would be impossible to pass by unseen. Yet I would still have to try. Anything to get away from her.
After she had ordered and had turned towards who I can only assume was her father, I made my attempt to get out of the diner, walking quickly across the room and opening the door as silently as possible. However, either I was not silent enough or she had amplified hearing because she turned around and faced me, saying the words that sealed my fate for at least the next hour. "Hi!"
Too seem polite and keep up human appearances, I replied in the best cheerful voice that I could fake under the circumstance, "Hello."
"Bella, who is this?" I had not even considered the necessity of introductions, having completely forgotten about the father as my fate had crashed down on me. I really do hate introductions unless they are absolutely necessary, which in this case they most certainly are not. Every human always wants to gain as much knowledge as is possible for their small brains to handle. Yet they will never grasp how completely ridiculous that is. After all, it is the cause of almost every war: either the two leaders meet and decided they despise each other or they are suspicious of one another as they do not believe that they know every little detail about the other. As I said, ridiculous.
"Charlie, this is Rose. She is in my grade and is also new to the town." So, the father daughter relationship is not strong, or else she would have called him 'dad'. Interesting. Although I am angered as to the fact that she knows the name I have been calling myself, even if she has not even bothered to get to know me. I like this human less and less by the second.
The father, Charlie, turned to me and shook my hand. At least he is a man on manners. "It is nice to meet you Rose, although I am astounded to have only learned that you are new today." He did seem genuinely glad to meet me.
Of course, I returned the greeting, as every human naturally does. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Swan." The formal title always makes the parents take an immediate liking to me, and I have used it many times.
He dropped my hand. "Please, call me Charlie. You must have been brought up well, to speak in such a way." I became a little defensive as to his observations of my language, but was still polite.
Luckily, Bella then proceeded to tell her father, "Charlie, if you will excuse us, I want to talk to Rose privately." Or perhaps not so lucky, as I like her company less than her father's, who at least has a shred of common sense. After all, he is not actively befriending a vampire.
The human dragged me out of the restaurant and into the forest, most likely so that we were less likely to be overheard. Which confirms my fear: she wants to talk about the Cullens. Whether she was told by Edward or found the truth in that Quileute legends book that she had purchased, she knows what they are. And she wants to tell me, knowing I may have figured it out based on the clues the brainless blood-sucker gave both of us, and wanting to get it off her chest. She takes a deep breath, to settle her nerves about approaching this subject, and begins, "I need to tell you something." She eyes me, looking for any reaction, but I give her none. Confused yet more confident, she continues. "Do you remember the car ride yesterday? What Edward told us? About how he could read minds?" I really hate the way she says her owner's name, as if he was the best creature to walk this earth. As if. When I realised she wanted a response, I gave her a quick nod, non-verbally telling her to continue. "Well, in that car, when we touched hands, he was really cold. Freezing…. Inhuman." She winced, waiting for me to tell her she was stupid. Maybe even hoping I would. But I don't. I want to know what she has figured out. "Yesterday I bought a book about the old legends. One of them was… vampires." Once again wincing, and once again having no reaction. "I couldn't help but compare Edward to them. All of the Cullens even. And there are too many connections to the book for it to be a coincidence." Was she trying to console me, or herself? She then proceeded to take the book out of that bag that she always carried, with one strap. Very inconvenient, for two straps allow the weight to be balanced while one makes the wearer lopsided. In it she opened to the page about vampires, and she pointed out all the words to me. The first thing that struck me was how the image of the vampire was actually highly realistic. The author was obviously one of the shapeshifters and had the unfortunate luck of actually watching one suck a human dry. Not an altogether educational experience, but an experience nonetheless. "Undead. Speed. Strength. Cold-Skinned. Immortal. Drank Blood. It all fits. He saved me from that truck. One minute he was on the other side of the car park and then he was next to me. He stopped the truck just using his hands. They don't eat anything. They have to be vampires."
Never in a million years did I think that the pet was so susceptive towards the clan, regardless of the way she feels. I am honestly beginning to think that she is addicted to danger, which would explain why she was talking to me. I am dangerous. Bella noticed that I did not respond. "You do believe me, don't you?" To avoid having to deal with a human who was constantly nagging me and trying to persuade me to believe here, I relented. "Yes, I think I do believe you. The evidence is too overwhelming to even consider any other possibility." A good way to get people off your back is to compliment them. In this case, I complimented the pet's research skills, although in truth I believe them to be more psychotic than impressive.
She responded with a question. "What do we do?"
How was I going to answer?