Chapter 22

I woke up at the crack of dawn. I was determined to fit in a run before school whenever the weather permitted. Looking out my window, the overcast sky and light sprinkles didn't bother me at all. Without hesitation, I quickly changed into my jogging clothes and hit the streets. As I jogged through town, my mind wandered back to the previous day and my encounter with the Cullens.

Chatting with Alice had been quite enjoyable, and I couldn't help but hope we could become friends during the coming year. Jasper, on the other hand, appeared a bit more reserved, but I understood his reticence about being open with a human, considering he'd spent 150 plus years where his top priority was keeping the secret. I couldn't help but wonder what the other Cullens were like. Hopefully, I'd get the chance to meet them sooner rather than later.

As I jogged, I saw the dense forest encroaching around the sparse houses on this stretch of the road, and I realized I could go back into the woods when Charlie was not around. It turned out there wasn't a killer bear after all, just some killer vamps who had since left the area. That made me glad, as it was a good place to practice my abilities. Jogging past the high school, I saw that the parking lot was almost completely empty, as there was still a good amount of time before school started. I continued along some side streets, and that's when I felt it. It was that same slight tickle in my mind. It seemed that Edward Cullen was hiding somewhere and trying to hear my thoughts. I knew I would have to confront him sooner than later, as I did not like being spied upon.

I stopped and looked around but did not see anyone. I whispered, "Edward, I know you're there. Come on out." I waited for a few seconds, and then I saw Edward emerge from the forest looking slightly chagrined.

When he was close, he inquired, "How did you know I was there?"

"I can feel you trying to do your mind reading mumbo jumbo on me. If you want to do some testing, please ask. I'm pretty open, but I do not like people spying on me. Do not do it again. Ever!" I emphasized the last word and gave Edward a look, hoping it showed that I meant what I said.

Edward looked down, ashamed at being caught. "I'm sorry for spying on you. I won't do it again."

"Thank you." I figured now might be a good time to chat with this new vampire. "We still have a good hour plus before we have to leave for school. Would you like to chat while I walk home?"

He lifted his head and smiled. He really was attractive in a boyish sort of way. He would have been really hot if he had been able to stay human longer. He had the height, probably standing an inch or two above 6 feet, but his body looked a little lanky. Vampirism had helped a bit, but I could tell if he only had a year or two more of being human, his body would have developed and filled out to its full potential. Best to keep that to myself; why kick him for something he most likely had no control over.

"That sounds nice," Edward said, as we started walking together along the side of the road.

"So, tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been a vampire? What are some of your interests?" I asked, curious to learn more about Edward.

Edward appeared deep in thought, his mind drifting back to his past. Finally, he began sharing, "I was turned by Carlisle in 1918. I'm originally from Chicago, and it was during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu. By then, my parents had already succumbed to the sickness, and I was on death's door when Carlisle changed me. I was the first person he had ever changed."

He continued on, clearly reliving his early years. "I had absolutely no knowledge of vampires, so waking up as one was a tremendous shock. It took me many years to come to terms with what had happened to me. The initial few days were highly confusing, especially because I could hear Carlisle's thoughts, and I couldn't understand how that was even possible. It took years to be comfortable with the cacophony of everyone's thoughts running through my head. Even now, while I can't hear anything from you, I hear the thoughts of everyone around us, in their homes. Trying to ignore it is quite draining."

"Damn, that sounds awful. You can't shut it off? Have you tried to train whatever it is in your brain that lets you read minds to shut down when you don't want to use it?" I asked, genuinely concerned about the burden Edward had to carry.

"No, it can't be shut off. Vampire gifts don't work that way. What you have is what you have. Alice gets visions of the future. Jasper can read emotions. It's when vampires are created that determines if they have any extra abilities and how they function," Edward explained, his tone a mixture of acceptance and resignation.

That did not sound right to me. I had powers, but I actively trained with them every day, trying to get better, and I have succeeded. It made no sense that this only worked because I was still human.

"I think you're mistaken about this. I believe with constant training and exercising your ability, you could improve upon it. I can't be certain, of course, but I would put effort into trying to flex your mind in different ways and see if you can get your abilities to shut off or maybe work at a different wavelength so it would not bombard your mind with everyone's thoughts," I suggested, hoping my advice might be of some help to Edward.

"That's certainly an interesting hypothesis and way of thinking that I had not thought of before. I might just try that. Thank you. As for my interests, I love to run. I enjoy writing music and play many instruments, with my favorite being the piano. What about you?" Edward asked, looking genuinely curious to get to know me.

"I enjoy running too. Hence why I'm out here at the crack of dawn. As for interests, it's a work in progress. Before the vampire world intruded on my life, I have to admit my life was pretty dull. My interests were mostly reading the classics. But now, I see everything in a new light, and the world is full of possibilities. One day soon, I will be able to do anything, be anyone. I plan to reinvent myself over and over through the decades, accomplishing great things. I am really looking forward to the day I can start making my mark on the world." I replied, sharing my aspirations with Edward.

Edward looked at me with a mix of confusion and maybe regret. "That is a very positive view of vampirism. I've always thought of us as monsters and abominations."

"Well, shit. With an attitude like that, why haven't you just jumped in a fire? You need a positive outlook on life, Edward. Your life did not end when you became a vampire. You're still here, standing right beside me. You can do anything you want. Of course, some things are different now that you're not human, but you just adapt and find a different way to accomplish what you want. Try and be happy. If you want to hang with me, you can't be such a downer. I'm a positive person, and I want to help others, not bring them down. Let's figure out a way to make your life better, so you can be more content with your lot in life. I was told you were the only single Cullen. When was the last time you had a girlfriend?"

Edward looked away, and I had a bad feeling he had not lived life at all in the past 100 years. "I've never had a girlfriend," he finally admitted.

"Well, there's your problem. I would be as depressed as you appear to be if I never had a boyfriend in a century. You do realize you're really hot, right? You could have pretty much any girl you wanted if you made the effort. Just yesterday, I was talking with Jessica, and she said she tried over and over to get with you, but you rebuffed her. Was she lying?"

Edward made a face of disgust, and I couldn't help but wonder what Jessica had done to evoke such a reaction from him. "No, she was very persistent back when we first moved here. It was quite annoying, with her following me around. She has very loud thoughts and a very vivid imagination. Some of the things she thought about us doing together were quite repulsive."

I couldn't help but imagine Jessica assaulting Edward in the lunch line at the cafeteria. I saw her ripping off his pants and falling to her knees, and proceed to go crazy blowing him. I tried not to laugh at the face I saw Edward making when he came for the first time in 100 years. I shook my head to get rid of the image and the absurdity of that scenario.

"Okay," I said, trying not to let my amusement show too much, "it sounds like you are more old-fashioned, and that's alright if that's the type of woman that interests you. I chatted with Angela the other day, and she seemed like a sweet girl and probably conservative. My dad says her family is religious. What about her?"

Edward pondered what to say, and after a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke, "I don't think I'm the type of person Angela would be interested in. In any event, a vampire cannot have sexual relations with a human."

I looked at him with a 'what the fuck' expression, "What makes you think that?"

"Vampires are too strong. They would hurt a human if they ever tried to be intimate. I've seen it in other vampires' minds. When they engage in congress with a human, it is only to serve their carnal desires and eventual thirst. I could never do that."

I shook my head, determined to offer a different perspective, "Well, I'll admit most vampires might end the encounter that way, but I can tell you with certainty that a vampire can have sex with a human."

He looked at me, and his eyes grew wide finally understanding. "You mean you and Demetri had carnal relations?"

I laughed, "I don't think we were discussing my sex life. I'll just say you are mistaken in your beliefs. Then again, Demetri is a hell of a lot older than you, so maybe his control is better. Maybe you should focus on finding a vampire girlfriend. There must be some hot vamps out there who would be interested in you. I can imagine the attraction to some in breaking down the barriers of a 100-year-old virgin. Go out and find some vamp hotty. That should improve your spirits immensely."

Edward appeared contemplative. "I do know some female vampires who have shown interest in me, but their minds are quite risqué. I'll admit, it is hard being the lone vampire in a family of three couples. Hearing everything that is going on in our house is quite unsettling at times. It has actually been quite pleasant talking with you, where I don't hear anything."

"I think you would find my mind is just as raunchy as everyone else's, if not more. You've got to get off this hang-up; people can't censor their thoughts, especially humans when they don't know you're listening in." I had had my fill of discussing Edward Cullen's nonexistent love life. There was only so much a girl could do to try and convince one of the hottest guys she had ever met that it would be okay for him to go meet someone and fuck their brains out.

Changing the subject, I asked, "So you say you like to run. How fast can you go?"

He smiled, reminiscing, "I once had Alice test me on a police radar gun, and I topped out at 140 mph. That was the fastest in the family by far."

"That's impressive. When Demetri took me running, he topped out at around 100 mph. Flying through the desert at that speed was amazing. I can only imagine what it's like when going through the forest. I guess I'll find out for myself one day," I said with a smile.

We continued walking, both seemingly deep in thought. Eventually, Edward mused, "You know, it's quite interesting talking to a human who knows what I am. You're the first human I have ever talked openly to, and I'm surprised you're not more scared of me. I always thought a human would quake in terror being around a vampire who could kill them at will, but your heartbeat has not increased once in our conversation."

I gave him the side-eye, wondering if he was serious. Though I had quite a colorful retort in mind, I decided to be diplomatic. "Truthfully, Edward, you're not that scary. There are good people and bad people out in the world, just as there are good vampires and bad vampires. You, Edward, are a good person at heart, so why would I be afraid of you?" I smiled and then decided to turn the tables on him. "Now, would you be scared of me if it turned out that I was the true threat between us, and I could kill you instantly if I felt like it?"

Edward looked at me with a hint of pride. "I've always felt safe around vampires as I could always read their mind and know if they were a threat. If so, I would always be one step ahead of them and know what they were planning. As for you, no offense, but you're only a human."

I gave him a devilish smile. "You're right, of course. I'm only a human."

We were close to my house now, and I knew I had just enough time to take a quick shower before heading off to school. I turned to Edward. "It's been an interesting chat, Edward. I've tried to impart some sage advice. It's up to you if you want to improve your life. What you really need to do is live life and not repeat high school over and over again. Go out and have fun. Go to Vegas and win a billion dollars playing poker. Buy a mansion or donate all the money to charity. In any case, go find a vampire and have fun; anything has to be better than being an immortal going to Forks High every day." I turned around to go into my house and added, "I'll see you later at school." as I walked away.

My second day of school went even better than the first. I had already gotten to know some people, which made it easier to engage in conversations with them and others. In gym class, I teamed up with Angela this time for badminton. She was slightly taller than me, giving her a greater reach, but she wasn't as athletically inclined as Mike. As a result, we only won a few games and didn't dominate the court. Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun and shared many laughs, especially when witnessing some amusing swings from our opponents that completely missed the birdie.

During lunchtime, Alice asked if I wanted to sit at the Cullen table that day. I gladly accepted the invitation and promised Jessica, who seemed surprised, that I'd sit with her tomorrow. It appeared that I was the first human ever to get an invite to the vamp table. As I joined Alice, Edward, and Jasper, I inquired about the whereabouts of the big guy, Emmett, and his girlfriend, Rosalie. Alice informed me that Rosalie had some sort of issue with a human knowing their secret, and she insisted on leaving, taking Emmett with her, though Alice's visions indicated they'd be back in a week. I didn't understand Rosalie's problem, but there was no point in worrying about it.

Sitting with the Cullens was enjoyable, and at one point, I playfully offered Edward my apple, speaking quite loudly to get the surrounding human tables' attention. He reluctantly took it and started to eat it, knowing everyone was watching him. He really did look like he was eating shit. Well, that's what he gets for creeping on me earlier, I thought with a satisfied smile.

Alice and I had a great time discussing fashion trends over lunch. She shared stories of everyone wearing crazy outfits from different eras, like dressing as hippies in the '60s, rocking full disco outfits in the '70s, and sporting lots of neon and spandex in the '80s. I was curious if she had any pictures, and Alice promised to show me some in the future. I couldn't wait to see them.

When I got home, I checked my phone messages and saw one from my mom. I hadn't spoken with her since school started, so I decided to give her a call.

She answered right away, getting straight to the point. "Bella, it's so good to hear from you. How are you? How are your classes?"

"Hey, Mom. I'm doing great." I walked up the stairs while talking to her and lay down on the bed, getting comfortable.

"Really, I'm so happy to hear that," she sounded relieved. "I was worried. You've always had such poor things to say about visiting Forks in the past, and now you're living there..."

"I know, but this time I don't find Forks that bad at all. I've even made some friends already." I smiled, thinking about my new groups of friends.

"That's great, sweetheart. Any chance you're happy because you met some cute guy?" It sounded like she was fishing for information. I smiled thinking of the perfect response.

"Wow, mom. How did you know?" I spoke with fake excitement, "My first day, I met the one and only Mike Newton again. He seemed very interested in me. I sat him down though and explained my reservations, telling him all about your poor experience with his father in great detail. He promised me that he would be much better if I gave him a shot. He assured me that he could be 'Two Minute Mike'."

My mom burst out laughing. It took a while before she calmed down. "That's a good one, honey. I guess it would be hard for you to settle for a regular guy after spending that week with Demetri. Have you heard from him since he left?"

"Yes, we've stayed in touch. We're not really serious, Mom. It's kinda hard when he lives in Europe, and I'm still in high school. We like each other, but we were really just having fun. Okay." Talking about Demetri got me missing him again, and I resolved to call him later tonight. Charlie said he would be home late this evening, so it would be a perfect opportunity.

"I hear you, honey. So tell me about some of your classes."

With that, we talked for a long time, and I regaled her with all that had occurred since we last spoke.


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