The Rose & The Wolf

by theeunoiasystem

When Bella moves to Forks, a mysterious boy becomes obsessed with her. Bella enlists the help of his gorgeous but cold sister, Rosalie. Things come to a head at the prom when Jacob accidentally bites Bella, beginning a transformation that will change her entire life. When Rosalie returns to town to check on her, they both have a huge surprise in store - an imprint!

5. Orignal Draft

Hello roses! This is the original draft of the story from before I began my rewrite. It was never finished, but I thought I'd keep it up for anyone who still wants to go back and read the original. Really though, if you're a first time reader, you have no real reason to read this version as things are going quite different in the rewrite. Until next time!

–

Homecoming

On the day I moved to Forks, I drove to the airport with the windows rolled down and my laughter-lined mother in the passenger seat. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. My slice of heaven. Her short and mousy brown hair blew around her as she leaned out of Phil's car. Her face, so similar to mine, was smiling in the wind. She was the perfect foil to me, by design. She was erratic, irresponsible and while sometimes I loathed her for it, I loved her. That's how I felt now, leaving my home behind, alone.

She glanced at me now with a faceful of hope and a mischievous sparkle in her childlike eyes. How could I deny her happiness? I asked myself. She deserved, much more so than me, to chase her dreams with her husband Phil. With Phil too, the bills would probably get paid before she let the power shut off, there would be edible food not covered in mould in the fridge, perhaps she'd be able to finally get around to those driving lessons she had shoved onto me instead.

I'd gone over my goodbyes to Phoenix a thousand times. It was here we fled when in the middle of the night my mother could no longer stand to stay in Forks. Charlie wasn't a bad husband. He was a father who tried to do right by my family. But 'right' was never enough for my mother, she wanted 'spontaneous.' I was a baby when she left; and as I grew older my mom regaled me with the tales of how she hitchhiked for days in search of the sun after leaving the near-constant cover of clouds the Olympic Peninsula thrives under. She thought it was inspiring, but it just made me anxious for her safety. Still, Phoenix represented a safe haven for us both. While she wanted to leave it, to be free, I would be happy to curl up here forever. That's what freedom means to me.

Instead, I had chosen to exile myself, foregoing the lively city I loved to watch bustle around me while I curled up with a coffee and a book. Leaving the safe bubble of blistering heat I called home. I wonder if my mother knew the sacrifice I was making today.

When we arrived at the airport we exchanged quick words of goodbye. She was far too excited to go start her new life in Jacksonville, and Phil and I both knew she'd miss her plane if we didn't push her right to the gate. Truthfully, I was far too much in my own head to indulge her need for validation as I have through the years. I knew her promises of always being there for me were false. I was the one who was there for her - and I always would be, whether I liked it or not.

It was a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. Until I stepped off the plane, I hadn't really thought about my new life here. Mostly I was just ignoring it in favour of the blissful peace of my book. Now the panic washed over me, as did the rain that was managing a steady but miserable drizzle. I ran for cover and the bright lights of the Port Angeles airport in the dark. As soon as my flats met the slick floor I knew I should have been more careful where I stepped. I braced myself for the fall backwards and was surprised when a rough hand caught me with a grunt. I looked up at Charlie as he steadied me. "Guess it was good I decided to come meet you outta the plane." He gave a small twitch of his mouth that passed for a smile.

Charlie's face was lined like my mother's, but instead of lines wrinkled by laughter and memories he had a thick moustache and frown lines weathered and hard. Time hadn't been as kind to Charlie - we were both worriers. He didn't show his emotion with his whole face like she did, Charlie was more secretive. Where he did show it, was his eyes. Warm and brown and honeyed just like mine, with kind crinkles at the corners, if you knew where to look. That's where he truly smiles.

I shook my head and the surprise of seeing Charlie off my face. "Thanks dad. It's good to see you." He grunted and picked up my small suitcase. I really didn't have a lot of clothes for such a rainy place. "Oh, you really don't have to do that, I got it…" He waved me off and we made our way towards the exit in silence. Whereas mom always needed noise and chatter, Charlie and I were more comfortable in our own thoughts.

We stopped at the parking lot - it wasn't hard to tell which one was Charlie's. "Ah, I forgot that I have to get used to… you know, getting into a cop car." I said, rubbing my arms awkwardly. He laughed. "At least you get to sit in the front." The car door clicked behind him. He cleared his throat as I slid into the front seat beside him.

"So, uh, speaking of cars I was talking with Billy Black, you remember me talking 'bout Billy right?"

"Ummm…"

"He's my fishing buddy, down at La Push."

"Oh right, I remember now."

"Yeah well he's in a wheelchair now and he offered to sell me his truck for cheap. I, uh, I bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." He saw me beginning to sputter in surprise and waved me off. "I know I know, you don't like expensive gifts. But I want you to be happy here and I… don't want a repeat." He squared his jaw, looking straight ahead. I realised then how much it meant to him for me to come here. Far from being a burden to him, he was looking forward to taking care of me. To being present in my life. At least, that's what it seemed like right now.

I swallowed my tears and gulped. "Thanks dad, I… I really appreciate it."

"Well, now, you're welcome." He mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks.

I watched the rain pour down through the dark windows, imagining the green canopy awaiting me with the light of day. I wondered what it was like, the green. Mom always described it as an alien planet, the trees, their trunks covered with moss, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. It sounded beautiful, but cold and wet and… lonely. Alienating.

I fell asleep then, leaning against the cold window. I was exhausted. I expected Charlie to wake me when we got to my new home - instead he carried me inside, shrugged off my wet parka, flats and threw a blanket over me. It might not have been much to anyone else, but to me? It meant the world.

First Friend

Waking up in an unfamiliar room was hard for me, especially when the last thing I remembered was the hum of the engine and my warm breath on the cold window. As I sat up and pulled the purple quilt around me, I looked at the room that had belonged to me since I was born. There was a worn wooden rocking chair in the corner where the ghost of my young father rocked me to sleep. Yellowed lace curtains hung around the bay window my mother felt was a cage to keep us both in. These were the few things that remained from the last time I was here. Charlie had told me the things he had changed as I grew. My crib to a bed, a desk for my summer homework. I was never allowed to take him up on the offer, although my heart hurt to see him try so hard to accommodate me. I vowed to be grateful I now had a reason to put these things to use - and I would be trying to pay him back when I could.

I tiptoed to the window seat, unaware of what time it was. The early September sun was attempting to break through the thick fog and foliage that was as ever-present as the evergreens in Forks. It was pretty, my mother was right about that. There was a heavy feeling settling in my chest as I gazed at the shrouded treetops in the distance. I wasn't sure it was a bad thing. The weight was more akin to a heavy blanket than a noose. I was starting to feel cautiously optimistic about Forks - it seemed there were a lot more things lately I couldn't quite trust my mother on - more than even the promises of having filed her taxes or that she was on top of the moving paperwork.

I heard Charlie shuffle out of his room then, and panicked - I forgot to make breakfast! A wave of disappointment and shame washed over me - what an ungrateful thing to do. I mentally kicked myself while I quickly changed out of my travelling clothes from last night and rummaged around in my suitcase for something decent - my favourite white blouse with tiny roses I had embroidered onto the babydoll collar and some comfortable loose fit jeans. I could make it weather-appropriate later.

I hurried to open the door then carefully shut it behind me. Mentally cringing, I all but ran down the stairs to greet Charlie. I found him at the old square oak table in one of the unmatching chairs of the tiny yellow kitchen, wearing his uniform with all but his jacket and gun.

"Morning dad! I'm really sorry I didn't get breakfast ready, I must have forgotten to set an alarm." I smiled at him apologetically.

He waved me off. "Caffeine is usually my breakfast anyway."

"What can I fix you before you leave?" I asked, as I opened the nearest cupboard.

"Bells, relax. I haven't really done any food shopping yet anyway." He downed his mug and patted me on the shoulder as he passed on his way to grab his police jacket and gun belt.

"That's fine, I can go after school if you want me to."

He paused at this and looked at me puzzlingly. "I thought you'd want to give yourself a day to settle in first. You don't have to rush back to school on the first day if you need a break from travelling."

"I… I should go. No sense in delaying the inevitable, dad." I gave what I hoped to be a brave smile.

Now he looked embarrassed. "I mean I can take you in the squad car if you want but I had planned for Jacob to swing by with the truck today. The kids at La Push don't start back 'till next week. Might be nice for you to have a friend too."

I thought quietly for a minute while he pulled on his jacket. The last thing I wanted was to show up like that. But wouldn't it be lazy to skip my first day with no good reason?

"You wouldn't be skipping," He read my mind. "I already talked to the school about this. Told em' you get plane sick. C'mon, take a day off kid." He pulled the back of my neck towards his chest and gave the top of my head a quick kiss.

I smiled at him weakly. If I wasn't careful, the tears would spill over before he was out the door. "Have a good day, Chief." His eyes crinkled in response and he left me in the kitchen. It was only when I heard the sputter of the engine that I let myself sink into a chair and fall apart.

The little time I had spent with Charlie on his visits hadn't prepared me for this. Back then we were awkward, standing 5 feet apart and barely talking. Now I was… home… he was being sweet. He caught me when I fell at the airport, he brought me to bed when I fell asleep, he knew exactly what I needed today. How could I have ever listened to mom about him? Cold and unfeeling? Neglectful and selfish? God, how could I have been so stupid? It took less than two hours combined living with Charlie to realise how wrong I'd been.

I walked to the fireplace in the adjourning handkerchief-sized living room. It was the only place in the whole downstairs that was dusted, as far as I could see. Sitting on the mantelpiece was a row of family photos. A wedding picture of a young mom and dad in Las Vegas, one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, school photos of every single year we were apart, right up until last year. It was impossible, being in this house, not to realise that Charlie had never gotten over my mom taking me. I didn't remember the last time mom had even looked at a school photo of mine. I pulled myself together. I couldn't wallow in the mistakes of my mother.

I headed back up the wooden stairs to unpack and pulled my hair into a simple ponytail. My lacking winter wardrobe fit easily in a single drawer, and I hadn't brought with me a lot of personal belongings other than my books and a tiny cactus - a cutting of the big one we'd had in the backyard in Phoenix. I was surprised to see that the noticeboard above my desk had already been populated with drawings I'd done for my dad when I was a kid. Touching, but of course, embarrassing. I carefully unpinned them and put them away in a second drawer.

I spent the morning cleaning the kitchen after I was done arranging my room how I wanted it. I wasn't sure if Charlie could cook very well and honestly I was used to being assigned kitchen duties - mom was an 'experimental' cook and burned almost everything that came across her stove. The cupboards were sparsely populated, but what I found was surprisingly in date and usable. It was simple enough to make a quick meal plan for what we had in, and a shopping list for what I would need. I kept things simple for Charlie, and I wasn't a fussy eater either.

As I packed my cleaning supplies back into the cupboard I'd found them in, there was a knock at the door, which I could only assume was Billy's son, with my new truck. I opened the door to a tall, russet skinned boy with impossibly long black hair hanging around his high cheekbones, wide lop-sided grin and dark, deep set eyes. Despite his tall height, he looked fourteen, maybe fifteen and still had just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin.

"Hey! You're Isabella, right? I'm Jacob Black, I live out of town." He extended a hand which I gingerly took. Before I could answer, he pulled me forwards into a crushing hug. "You're so much smaller than I thought you'd be! I thought you were seventeen!"

I laughed as he let me go. He was so friendly, with a clear easy-going attitude. It was contagious. "Just Bella actually. And what are you, the age police? I am seventeen!"

He held up his hands in fake surrender and backed away. "I'm just the mechanic. And I'm almost sixteen." With that, I looked eagerly to the driveway. The truck was a faded reddish-orange, with big, angular fenders and a boxy, square cab to match. To my intense surprise, I loved it. I didn't know if it would run as well as I hoped, but I could see myself in it. It was the kind of truck you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed.

"Let me guess, you hate it." I wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"No, I love it! It's so… me." I grinned at him. It had been a long time since I felt this light.

"Yeah? Good because I sunk a lot of work into that thing! Now, I'm going to give you some car talk so don't be put off. It's a 1963 model, Chevy of course. C10 stepside pick-up with a nice short bed. Here's the keys and I'll show you how to work the clutch on the way." He threw the keys at me and I caught them awkwardly, managing to bump my shoulder on the doorframe only lightly which, of course, Jacob laughed at. I rubbed my arm as I went to grab my coat.

"Where are we going?" I called, shrugging it on regardless.

"Well I thought I'd take you for a ride, show the sights, you know." He said, lounging against the truck as I locked the house behind me. "I know your dad's got you playing hooky but that's fine, we'll stay on the rez."

I unlocked the car and walked over to the driver's side, sliding onto the tan upholstered seat next to Jacob. Although, luckily for me, it wasn't raining right now, I could imagine what a godsend this warm and dry cabin would be on those rainy Forks mornings I had ahead of me. Jacob had obviously done a great job cleaning it, but the inside still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. It was surprisingly comforting. I put my seatbelt on.

"So," I looked to Jacob, "Where to?" As promised, he showed me how to double pump the clutch and directed me towards his home in La Push.

The Blacks' house was a small wooden place with narrow windows, the dull red paint making it resemble a tiny barn. Apparently Billy was out right now, so Jacob led me to where he spends most of his time - his garage. A thick strand of trees and shrubbery concealed it from the house, and it was no more than a couple of big preformed sheds that had been bolted together and their interior walls knocked out. Inside was a chassis of some kind of vehicle and an array of different parts and tools strewn around the floor. Here and there were dirty dishes with the remnants of some old meal; a bowl, a plate, a pizza box. He looked embarrassed when I noticed them.

"Sorry, I don't usually have good company!"

I laughed. "If I'm good company, I don't want to know the company you usually keep." I took a seat on an upturned bottle crate. "So, you build cars as well as keep them running? I'm impressed."

"Yeah, when I have free time, and the parts. They run on the expensive side, especially the classic ones. But if your truck has any problems, I'll do my best to take care of it." He offered.

I smiled indulgently. "I doubt it will, with you around. It runs great!"

"Yeah, but it's really slow," he laughed. "I was so relieved when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"It's not that slow!" I objected, already attached to my beloved truck.

"That's only 'cus you haven't gone over sixty. Word of advice - don't." He grinned.

"I'll keep that in mind." I said gravely.

"So it's your first day at school tomorrow right? Are you dreading it?"

I nodded. I was relieved that he seemed to understand more than my parents did.

"It sucks that we don't go to the same highschool. It would have been nice to know someone there."

"Well, you know where I live now. If you want to come complain about the palefaces, you're welcome to." I laughed. "Seriously though, you should come. A few of us are going to hangout and have a bonfire on First Beach this Saturday."

"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to intrude - you know, as a paleface." I teased. "Plus, I'm not much of a people-person, present company excluded of course."

At this he looked visibly deflated. "You wouldn't be intruding, and we could always just go for a walk. But I get it!" He smiled apologetically.

"Maybe I will come then, it would be nice to see the beach." I smiled back, meaning it this time. Spending time with Jacob would be a nice stress-reliever, and something to look forward to after the shitty week I'm doomed to have. "It's a stone beach right?"

"Yeah, why?" He asked, curious.

"Well," I began, blushing. "It's kind of embarrassing, but I really like the idea of finding sea glass or some cool rocks. I've only ever been to warm and sandy beaches and there's not much to pick up."

"Hey, that's not embarrassing! It's awesome to collect stuff, I mean look at me and my engine parts. I'll help you find some cool rocks, I promise!" He puffed his chest out like a kid and pounded his chest proudly as he made the vow, making me crease with laughter.

I left Jacob's when it was almost dark. I couldn't remember the last time I made a friend so quickly, and I really did look forward to seeing him on saturday. Before I went home, I searched for directions to the nearest grocery store. I may as well do something productive on my day off, and it would be nice for Charlie to have a good meal. It was the least I could do. When I came out of the store, it was pouring with rain, but my truck was truly the miracle I thought it would be. Like listening to rain on a tin roof, it was relaxing to drive home in this weather.

Charlie was sitting in front of the TV when I came in. "Hey kid, where'd you go today? You like the truck?"

"Yeah dad, it runs great. I was with Jacob, we hung out in his garage for a bit. I bought groceries on the way home."

"Good, I'm glad. Jake's a good kid, keeps his head down."

"Yeah he is. He invited me to go to First Beach with him on Saturday."

"Well, you should go. I usually go fishing on the weekends anyways; It would be good for you to have some company."

With that, we slipped into our easy silence as I filled the cupboards with groceries. I warmed the oven up, planning to cook a simple roast. After I put the food in, I headed upstairs to email mom. She would have probably wanted me to call, but I didn't have a lot to say that I was willing to share.

Mom,

I hope that Florida is good. I'm missing the sun a little bit, but Forks is pretty so far. I imagine I'll have a different opinion soon enough. Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy. He made me take the day off today so Jacob could drop it off. I think Jacob might be a good friend for me. I miss you, let me know if you've forgotten where you packed something.

Love you,

Bella.

I sighed and stretched, cracking my shoulders in the process. I was certain her reply would be a list of things she'd lost in the move. But enough of that. I need to serve dinner for the immediate concern downstairs - Charlie. Although, admittedly, Charlie was turning out to be much less of a concern as I had originally thought.

Dinner was simple and quiet, I was preoccupied with my dreads of school and Charlie always seemed happy to accompany me in my silence. I did the dishes, grabbed some water and said goodnight to Charlie, earning me a scratchy forehead kiss and a thank you for dinner before he went back to his TV. It was a little early, but it was always my tradition to read before bed. I had learned over many years to leave much more than just an hour for my reading - it simply wasn't long enough. I have many sleepless nights trying to get in 'just one more chapter' to attest to that fact. Sometimes I wish my brain worked like everyone else's and I'd fall asleep reading, but I wasn't sure that would ever be the case - it's not that I have some sense of superiority over being different, I'm literally and neurally different.

Tonight it was especially difficult to wind down. My thoughts churned over and over like a constant hurricane whipping through my brain. Worries swirled and scattered in every direction without letting me get a hold of any single one. A mist of anxiety and overwhelm surrounded me in my bed like the purple covers Charlie had so dutifully picked out for me… It was impossible to enjoy my nightly ritual like this, so I ended up staring at the ceiling, my eyes unfocused. Like always, I had shared my thoughts with no one and therefore there was no one to provide me comfort. It wasn't that I lied to people when they asked me how I was doing - it was that no one thought to ask me in the first place.

'Bella's so responsible, she can handle anything I ask of her. Bella's so mature, she always knows how to take care of me.' Ah, I'm thinking of my mother again. I hope that Phil is able to handle her. Can he do the specific way she likes her eggs? Find the hidey holes she tends to abandon her valuables in? She won't eat them if you don't do it correctly and she can't cook without burning the house down. She always leaves her keys, phone and everything else important in places like the fridge or the wardrobe. And honestly? She barely knows Phil. They only recently got married after a few months of dating. I'm afraid once he knows how dependent she is on me, and now him, he'll run in the opposite direction.

I thought about getting up to send him an email, but for the time being I needed to focus on getting some rest. It was a herculean task. As the numbers on the clock continued to tick by, my worries shifted from my mother, back to school. I don't relate well to people my age. The curse of growing up fast I suppose - I'd been running the household since I can remember. The truth is that I don't relate well to people, period. Perhaps it's due to the glitch in my brain we call neurodivergence, but the cause doesn't really matter. All that matters is the effect - and tomorrow would be just the beginning.

I didn't cry that night. It was likely the exhaustion and anxiety that pulled me under and I don't have any memory of falling asleep. Maybe it was for the best, but I felt robbed of the chance to mourn my old life.

Then again, looking back, there was no need to mourn it at all.

Hostile Territory

"Of course it's raining." I muttered to myself, as I peeked out at the miserable weather through the yellowed curtains. I thought about wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but I didn't want to blend in - I wanted to be completely invisible today. I chose a heavy cable knit forest green sweater that hid my slender frame and some battered mom jeans. The sweater was new, but I was certain that by the end of the day I will have managed to gnaw so many holes into the sleeves that it'll look ancient. Mom always hated when I did that, so she'd slap the back of my head everytime she caught me. I wondered why she cared - I've always bought my own clothes.

When I was dressed and packed with the stationary and paperwork I needed for the day, I headed downstairs to make food for Charlie. I did the eggs the same way I do for mom and served them with some buttered toast before calling him to breakfast. I wasn't hungry this morning. He grumbled as he came down about a sore neck - I made a mental note that he might need a new pillow. He woke up a little more once he started digging in and I decided to try my luck in conversation.

I cleared my throat. "Hey dad, would you mind giving me directions to the highschool?"

"Oh, it's just off the highway, like most things. Wait, hang on. You don't know where that is. Of course." he motioned to my backpack asking for a pen and paper.

"It doesn't really look like a highschool, just a bunch of buildings. Look for the sign and you'll find it, you're smart."

"Thanks dad."

He grunted in response. The rest of breakfast was a quiet event and he wished me good luck before heading out the door. "If you need anything, call me, I'll make time. Anyone bother you, remind them who your dad is." He told me, pointing to himself fiercely.

I smiled, imagining how that would have gone down at my old school, with its chain-link fences and metal detectors. Small town living was something else. Once I'd done the dishes, it was hard to stay still anymore. My body was coiled in anticipation of the day I was about to have. I wished that I could go for a walk, but the rain was doing it's best to make it as unappealing as possible. Still, I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I donned my jacket - which had the feel of a biohazard suit - and headed out into the rain.

I hurriedly locked up and walked quickly to the dry sanctuary my truck provided. I started the engine and wondered idly if I was going to name it. If I did, I'd need something suitably oldman-ish. The engine roared to life, then idled at top volume as I waited for the heating to come on. It was significantly louder in the silence than I had remembered, but I didn't mind. I smiled to myself. It reminded me of Charlie and his poor neck this morning.

I decided to drive in silence today and let the calm early morning light and beautiful scenery wash over me. Plus, I wasn't sure if the radio worked yet. Following dad's directions, finding the school wasn't too difficult. He was right that it wasn't obvious that it was a school, and only the sign reading 'Forks High School,' made me stop - there were so many trees and shrubs I could barely see it at first. Wait. I startled. I just called Charlie dad, and not to his face. I pushed the thought aside. I'd deal with those thoughts later, when I'm not in potentially hostile territory.

I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading 'front office.' I was sure it was off limits, since there were no other cars in the lot, but I have to report to the office anyway, so I may as well ask for directions. I stepped unwillingly out of the now toasty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door.

Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses. A couple of people were sitting inside, but it was mostly quiet and empty, the only noises being the clock and heating unit.

The red-haired woman looked up from her computer when I walked in. "Can I help you?" She sounded impatient.

"Um," I began, walking towards the desk. I caught my foot on one of the folding chairs and it scraped across the floor loudly, sending heads turning in my direction. I tripped, banging my knee on the metal seat and wincing. I was less concerned about the bruise that would form later, and more about what an idiot everyone must think I am.

The woman waited until I reached the desk. "Are you okay?" It didn't sound as if she cared about the answer.

"Yes, thank you." I blushed. "It's my first day."

"Name?"

"Isabella Swan." A flicker of awareness lit her eyes.

"Of course you are." She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk until she found the ones she was looking for. "This is your schedule and map. You can park here. Get these slips signed by each of your teachers." She pointed at a location so quickly that I didn't catch it. Guess I was resigned to wandering around in the rain - no way was I going to ask her to show me again.

"Thank you, have a nice day." I smiled shyly.

"You're welcome." She went back to typing furiously.

I blushed again in embarrassment. I didn't feel welcome. I felt like dying. To my relief, other students were starting to arrive by the time I reached my truck. I hopped back in and followed the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. As soon as I parked I cut the engine, hoping that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me like the opposite of a moth to the flame.

I needed something fun to distract me. I looked through truck names while I waited for the parking lot to fully populate, but struggled to find something that fit the grumpy nature of my truck. A truck should have a full name, I thought, not a name like 'The Beast' or 'The Punisher.' I went with Eames Jameson, E.J. for short. Then, my good old man can have a full name without me having to say it everytime. It's silly, I know, but currently my truck is the only friend I have at this school, and I want it to feel welcome, unlike me.

With that out of the way, I left E.J.'s warmth, and walked towards the nearest building to try and orient myself with the map. I cursed at myself for wasting my time looking for truck names instead of memorising the map I was given. Now I'd have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. Way to not call attention to yourself, Bella. I was notorious for getting lost, even with the best of maps. Luckily, once I stumbled upon the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot by the large black '3' painted on a white square on the east corner. I had biology first.

I felt my breathing gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as I approached the door. I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me. When I entered the classroom, a strange sight greeted me. The classroom was filled with black-topped lab tables exactly like the ones I was used to. They were all filled except one, as if everyone had purposefully kept their distance, like people trying to escape the radius of an earthquake. This wouldn't have been too surprising - every school has a few designated 'weird kids' people tend to stay away from. Except this boy looked nothing like you'd expect one of them to look like.

He was lanky, with untidy bronze-colored hair. He was pale in the extreme, almost marble white. He looked like a ghost, with purplish bruise-like shadows under his eyes. His eyes… They were black - coal black. Yet despite this, he was devastatingly, inhumanely beautiful. The face of an angel painted by an old master, more luxurious than the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. It was almost impossible to comprehend.

I hadn't decided if I was in awe or fear of this boy until I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed. As I came closer, he went rigid in his seat, sitting impossibly straight and betraying his tall height. He met my eyes with a gaze I'd never thought would be directed at me. Hostile, furious, murderous even. I looked away quickly, shocked and hoping I had imagined it. How could this beautiful stranger hate me this much?

Unfortunately, I wasn't watching my feet. I tripped over a book in the walkway, falling into him. Laughter erupted around me, but I barely noticed. A white hot brand of fear flashed through my body as he caught me with burning cold hands I could feel even through my jacket. He had a vice grip around my upper arms. He levelled his black, stormy eyes with mine and leaned close. "Will you be more careful?" He threatened menacingly. I felt the blood drain from my face and I imagined I looked as ghost-white as he did.

"You're hurting me." I whispered. He let go of me as if I was the one who had burned him.

"Is everything alright over there?" Demanded the teacher sternly. All of a sudden, the boy's demeanour changed and a brilliant smile with teeth white and predatory, fell across his face like a flash of lightning.

"Of course Mr. Banner. She tripped and I was just reminding her to be careful."

At this, the teacher looked dazed for a moment, and then shrugged it off. I couldn't believe it. Was this his normal behaviour? Was this what the school was like? And the teachers just accepted it? It looked like he was hypnotised!

I walked in a daze of my own to Mr. Banner. He signed my slip, handed me a book and allowed me to sit down without giving an introduction, thankfully. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the open seat next to the boy. I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. Inconspicuously, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, the scent of my favourite shampoo. It seemed an innocent enough odour. I let my hair fall over my right

shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the teacher to no avail.

During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from me as possible. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. I was afraid of the enormous advantage those muscles would give him over me. I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase 'if looks could kill' suddenly ran through my mind. He was giving me frostbite.

At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and the boy was out of his seat. He rose fluidly, his back to me, and was out the door before anyone else had even moved. I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. I began gathering up my things slowly and tried not to cry.

"Hey are you okay? Cullen was intense there." a male voice asked. I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blonde hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. Huh. He obviously didn't think I smelled bad. Or he was just feeling sorry for me.

"Cullen?" I asked, barely managing to speak.

"Edward Cullen. I've never seen him act like that. You're Isabella, right? New girl? I'm Mike"

"It's Bella, thanks. He certainly was… intense. I didn't really speak to him."

"Weird. If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you." He smiled, and I smiled back.

We quickly swapped schedules as we headed out the door and it turned out we had a class just before lunch together. He offered for me to sit with his table in the cafeteria. I agreed, since he seemed nice enough, and I didn't want to be on my own after the incident with… Edward.

After that, no one really talked to me much. I wasn't very interesting and I walked around, predictably, with the map glued to my face. I was glad that I had succeeded in being mostly invisible, but I felt even more alone than I thought I would. When lunch arrived, I sat with Mike and his friends, Angela, Jessica, Eric and Tyler.

Angela was a shy, tall Asian girl with black hair and gentle brown eyes. Jessica was a little more forward, a chatterbox with curly light brown hair and pretty blue eyes. Eric was an Asian boy with black hair, brown eyes and with his head in a graphic novel. Tyler was cocky and apparently pretty popular, with dark skin, brown hair and eyes.

They were nice enough but I mostly smiled and nodded at small talk. My mind was elsewhere and despite being around friendly faces, I still felt just as alone. It was only when the mention of the Cullen family came up, that I really paid attention.

"Hey Bella, have you met any of the Cullens yet?" Jessica turned to me, an excited, gossipy look on her face.

"Hell yeah she has, Edward was being super weird with her earlier. He looked like she had stabbed him with a pencil or something." Mike responded, before I got a chance to.

Jessica frowned. "I wasn't asking you."

"Yeah he was acting pretty strange earlier. I barely spoke to him and it seemed like he wanted to murder me or something."

"You did trip over him." Mike pointed out.

"It was an accident!" I protested. "And besides, he grabbed me really roughly." I muttered. I rubbed the spot where his hands had burned into me, and it was still a little sore. Tyler started ribbing Mike then, and the boys left the conversation to chase each other around, play fighting.

Angela looked worried. "Did he actually hurt you? Let me see."

I took off my coat and sweater, shivering slightly. Sure enough, there were slight bruises on my upper arms. Great, they'll match my knee.

"Oh my goodness, you have to tell someone!" Angela looked horrified.

"No!" I said immediately, pulling my sweater back on. "I mean, no, it's no big deal. I bruise really easily, it's not his fault." They all looked unconvinced.

"You should at least tell one of his siblings though. Maybe they can tell him to back off." Jessica supplied.

"Maybe… Who are they?" I looked around, searching for them, before settling my eyes on a table in the corner, as far away from me as possible. It was obvious when I found them - they were all exactly alike. Every one of them with the same pallor, dark eyes and bruise-like shadows that my arms now matched. There were five of them, each with a tray of untouched food in front of them, not talking.

"Well, you know Edward. The big one's Emmet, the gorgeous blonde is Rosalie, the little one is Alice and the one who looks like he's in pain is Jasper." Jessica said, lowering her voice conspiratorially and glancing at them surreptitiously. Edward looked like he wanted to glance over as she spoke, but kept his eyes fixed on the wall. Surely he couldn't hear her all the way over here?

Her descriptions were apt, I thought. Emmet looked like he could be a weight-lifter with his huge muscles, yet he didn't look as unapproachable as the others. He had a soft expression, sort of baby-faced, and yet still old and gorgeous at the same time. Each one of the Cullens were riddled with contradictions like this.

Rosalie was model-like, tall with a beautiful figure that made every girl around her take a hit on their self-esteem just by being in the same room. She had shiny, perfectly and gently curled golden blonde hair that she shook every now and then in the light.

Alice was tiny and pixie-like, the opposite of her model sister. She was impossibly thin with tiny delicate features, contrasting with her deep black hair, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

Jasper was taller than all of them, mediumly muscular in comparison to his brothers and with curly, honey blonde hair. He had the darkest shadows under his eyes and his mouth was set in a tight thin line. He looked akin to Edward in biology, but without the hostility.

"They're all super gorgeous." Angela supplied in admiration.

"Yes!" Jessica agreed with a giggle. "But it's weird! They're all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife. And Jasper and Alice? They're like, together!" I furrowed my eyebrow at the statement in both shock and confusion and the group giggled.

"They're not related. The Hales are twins - that's Rosalie and Jasper - But the rest are all adopted. Dr. Cullen-" Angela explained.

"Is really hot!" Jessica interjected.

"Yes," She blushed, "But what I meant to say is that Dr. Cullen is really young, he's in his twenties or something."

"Wow, that sounds nice of them, adopting so many kids when they're so young."

"Oh they're super loaded!" Jessica gushed "And they probably don't even have to do any parenting 'cus they're older."

"That's true." Angela agreed.

The conversation turned to other matters then, and it wasn't long before we had to go back to class. I had to admit, it was nice to talk to Angela and Jessica.

At the end of the day, when the final bell rang at last, I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was stronger, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself. I had been thinking of what to do about Edward all day and I had come to the decision to ask to transfer classes. Surely in a school so small they'd have room for me in another class? As I reached the front office, I got the sense that someone was watching me. Waiting by the door was Rosalie Hale, Edward's sister. I Instantly tensed as she waved me over.

"I thought I'd find you here," she said smoothly. "I heard what happened with my brother today."

"Oh!" I stammered, "I-I'm so-"

"I'd like to apologise for his behaviour. He's not the most welcoming of our family." She paused, her lip curled in disgust. "If I can do anything to help, please say the word. I'll do my best to ensure he stays away from you."

"Thank you so much Rosalie but I started it, really. I tripped into him at the start of class."

She laughed bitterly. "And yet you're the one with bruises. Please, men like my brother have a tendency to put their hands where they're not wanted." She started to walk past me.

I bit my lip and thought about her words. "Rosalie!" She turned back to me instantly. "I was planning on transferring out of my biology class, but I'm not sure if they'll agree… Will you switch classes with me?"

"What, and spend a whole period with my brother? Absolutely no chance." She laughed.

My heart sank and I opened my mouth to apologise-

"But I will switch with him."

"And if he doesn't agree?" I asked anxiously.

She smiled deviously. "Then I'll make him."

A Working Theory

The next few days were better… and worse.

I was better because it didn't rain too much. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day. People didn't take a second glance at me now, and less giggles erupted every time I tripped. It was better because Edward wasn't in school.

Wednesday morning I was dreading lunch, fearing his bizarre glares. Part of me wanted to confront him and demand to know what his problem was. While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. But I knew myself too well to think I would really have the guts to do it. I made the Cowardly Lion look like the terminator.

But… It was worse because I was tired. I still couldn't sleep. It was miserable because I had to play volleyball and the one time I didn't cringe out of the way of the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it. And it was worse because Rosalie wasn't in school either.

I wanted to thank her. On Tuesday I was too shocked to do so properly. I would be an idiot if I thought that what she did was more than ordinary human decency, but still. Part of me hoped that she wanted to be friends. Which yes, is a crazy thing to say about someone you've had one conversation with. But I felt understood by her.

One day I asked my dad about the Cullens over dinner.

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

"They… the kids… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."

"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here. We're lucky to have him - lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature - I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should - camping trips every other weekend, sometimes in the middle of the week if it's good for them… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying. But, camping trips. In the middle of the week. If they need them. That would make sense - Rosalie had said that she would deal with Edward - maybe they were camping together so he could let out whatever unwarranted rage he had at me. That put me more at ease. Rosalie wasn't avoiding me, she was helping me.

On Friday, I stayed behind after school to look at what few books they had in the meagre library. Charlie was leaving for his fishing trip by dinnertime so there was no need for me to rush home. I was closing my locker when I froze. Next to me, in this empty hallway, stood Edward Cullen.

"Hello," said a quiet musical voice.

I looked up, stunned that Edward was speaking to me. His face was friendly, a slight smile on his flawless lips. But his eyes were guarded and… different. Today, his eyes were a completely different colour. A strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I made up the whole thing? He was perfectly polite now. I had to speak; he was waiting. But I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out unthinkingly.

"No." He said firmly. His eyes seemed to swirl. Was that anger stirring?

"They were black the last time I saw you." What reason did he have to lie to me? I wasn't crazy. I know what I saw.

I saw his fists clench like last time, the tendons straining against pale skin. I backed away, wondering if I should run. I was so alone.

"You're wrong. Admit it." He dropped all friendly pretences.

I swallowed. "Edward. Please leave me alone."

I tried to turn away, but he grabbed my wrist, twisting it against the locker above my head with a crack. "Ow!" I screamed, struggling. "Help! Somebody help me!" He leaned close to my ear, his teeth almost brushing it. I scrunched up my eyes tight. I didn't want to see what was going to happen to me.

"Say it. Out Loud."

"Leave me alone!" I screamed

"Say it!" he shouted, as I cringed at the volume.

*SMASH*

Edward released my wrist. I staggered back from Edward and cradled it. Rosalie was standing there, her hand… She had hit the locker. She had hit the locker and the shape of her palm was perfectly imprinted… into the metal. She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, a stormy, terrifyingly powerful expression on her face. He snarled at her. Snarled.

"Do you really want to do this in front of a human?" She asked calmly.

'Do what? Human? What is going on?' I felt like screaming at them, but I stayed quiet, as tears pricked my eyes at the pain of my wrist. I fell to the ground, my legs unable to steady me any longer. It didn't feel like it, but I must have lost time. I was looking at him, right at him. I blinked, and he was gone.

She looked at me, and her face fell. "I'm so sorry," she said, so softly I wondered if I'd even heard her at all, "I came as quickly as I could. Let me help you up."

"Your wrist is broken, I could tell by the sound. I'll take you to Carlisle." I said nothing.

"Did he hurt you in any other way?"

I cleared my throat. "No."

"You can't tell, but I'm furious. The thing's I will do to that monster when he comes home…" She trailed off. I could tell she meant the threat, but the soft tone she was speaking in confused me. I said nothing.

"Right, you're probably still in shock." She sighed.

Rosalie shepharded me to E.J. and drove me to the hospital. I was so dissociated that the entire thing was a blur. She must have called dad because he was waiting at the ER when we arrived. They talked over me, letting me walk in silence as Charlie fired questions at Rosalie. I felt sorry for his fishing buddy that Charlie had to come and deal with me.

As if no time had passed, I was in an examination room. "So, Miss Swan." Dr. Cullen said. "How are you feeling? I startled at the mention of my name and came to attention.

"Um.. Ow." I managed.

He chuckled. "Yes, ow. Rose informs me that you twisted your wrist when you fell, is that correct?" He gave me a look that quietly demanded a 'yes,' but it didn't feel unkind.

"Yes. That's right. I'm pretty clumsy." Charlie's mouth twitched and I knew he was fighting a smile. 'Pretty clumsy' didn't even begin to cover it. "Where is she?"

"Oh, she's just talking to Alice. She'll be back soon." He smiled at me. Alice was here?

He examined me, and it turned out that Rosalie was right - it was broken. Luckily for me they had a choice of cast colours - I chose purple of course. While Charlie went to confer with Carlisle about aftercare, Rosalie came back into the room.

"Thank you. For everything." Were the first words out of my mouth.

"Ah so you're talking now then?" She smirked, her usual haughty attitude and air of superiority fully back in place.

I smiled and shrugged, then let it drop. "Rosalie-"

She held up her hand to stop me. "I will tell you everything. But not now. On Sunday, wear sensible clothes and shoes." She smirked and looked me up and down. "Not that you ever wear anything else. I'll pick you up. 10am." She turned to leave, having said her piece.

"Wait!" She looked back, surprised. "I'm um… I'm going to a bonfire tomorrow. At First Beach. You should come."

She laughed airly. "Just because I don't want you to get hurt doesn't mean we're friends now." I wish I could have caught the sad look in her eyes as she left.

On the way home, Charlie was quiet. He seemed almost sick with worry over what happened. Imagine if he knew the full story… I sighed inwardly. I wanted to tell him the truth about what happened to my wrist, about Edward. But the truth was that I knew, deep down, that the Cullens were dangerous.

When we pulled into the driveway, Charlie sat there for a minute, unmoving - immediately I was suspicious. "What's up dad?"

He hung his head, guilty. "Don't be mad, but… I had to call your mother."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "It's okay dad. I know you meant well."

I went straight upstairs to call mom, dressing one armed into comfy pyjamas while the dial-up tone played. She was in hysterics, of course. I had to tell her I felt fine at least thirty times before she would calm down. She begged me to come home, forgetting that we sold the house, but her pleas were easier to resist than I would have thought. Forks… might be growing on me. I loved living with my dad, I had started to make friends and the mystery presented by Rosalie and her family was dangerously enticing. Stupid, I know. I should be desperate to escape Edward's grasp.

Once I'd exhausted all my platitudes, I headed downstairs to talk to dad. I expected he'd be in front of the TV like usual, but I found him in the kitchen, warming up some tomato soup on the stove. "I can do that if you want, dad."

He looked at me like I had three heads. "You have one arm! What kind of father would I be if I made you cook like that?"

I smiled. "It's just soup." but I let him take care of me regardless. After the week I'd had, I needed it. After dinner, he retired to his usual position, throwing a blanket over his lap. It has been getting colder recently. I had thought that all I'd want to do when I got home was theorise about the Cullens. But right now? The sofa looked much more inviting. I curled up next to my dad, tucked my legs underneath me and pulled his arm over my shoulders. He chuckled and gave me some of the blanket.

"Bells? Bells?" Charlie murmured, nudging me gently and carefully avoiding my wrist. "You can't sleep here all night, my shoulder's getting numb!"

I laughed sleepily and sat up, stretching. "Sorry dad. G'night."

"Goodnight."

I tucked myself into bed and fell asleep without even turning the light off. That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen.

Saturday morning, I woke up in a cold sweat with a start. The wind whistled through the room and I realised with horror that my window was open. This was Forks. We never opened the windows. I leapt out of bed to close it, dressed as hurriedly and warmly as I could and opened a blank notebook. I thought back to all my interactions with the Cullens and wrote a list of things I knew, regardless of relevancy. It didn't help.

I… was at a loss. "Dammit!" I cursed, resting my head on the desk. "Ughhh!" Maybe I had to rephrase it. Questioning is always better than writing facts. I started with the easy ones and built up to harder questions.

Why are they so cold?

Why do they have dark shadows under their eyes?

Why don't they eat?

Why do they take so many trips out of town?

Why are they so violent?

Why do they look like they're in pain? Especially Jasper?

What would make a teenage boy just as muscular as a professional bodybuilder?

Why did she call me human as if she isn't?

What would make their eyes change colour other than contacts?

Who could make an imprint of their hand in a locker?

Short of suggesting they were some sort of supernatural being, the only thing I could think of was drugs. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about drugs - I'm a cop's daughter after all. But I know that they can make you cold, tired, and too nauseated to eat. Perhaps even throw in disordered eating like mine. Maybe they go on drug binges and need to stay home for a few days. Drugs can make you violent if misused and the pain could be withdrawal symptoms. Maybe Rosalie was so high she thought she wasn't human? Can that happen? Some drugs make your pupils bigger - I could have mistaken that for eye colour. The muscles and the handprint - steroids. That had to be it. Not to mention, Dr. Cullen was a superbly respected doctor. He might have access to more drugs than most, and he certainly has access to plenty of needles.

I leaned back in my chair. It was far fetched and conspiratorial, there was no doubt about that. But the alternative theory was that the Cullens were monsters. Out of the two, I'd much prefer to believe in this than admitting that the things that go bump in the night exist. I would never be fully satisfied with my answers until Rosalie confirmed them herself, but it was enough to sate my curiosity as a working theory for now, especially since I was seeing Jacob… Today. Oh no. I can't drive.

I rushed to the window to see if my dad's cruiser was still in the driveway and heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn't gone back on his fishing trip, so my plans with Jacob were safe as long as he agreed to drive me. Luckily for me, when I headed downstairs to ask, he said that he'd already planned to go see Billy today, so he'd take me. I quickly considered my outfit - a purple henley, black skinny jeans over some thermal tights. It'd do for the beach. I threw on an extra flannel and grabbed a thick brown jacket. Surprisingly, it didn't have a hood, but I trusted that our outing would likely be over if it rained.

We took E.J. to the Black's house since Jacob would take over driving to First Beach. As we approached, I saw the curtains peel back a little and a wide grin flash before disappearing again. The door flew open as dad helped me out of the cab and I watched as Jacob bounded up to us like an excited puppy, long hair flowing freely in the wind.

"Where the hell have you been, loca?" He said longingly as he hugged me. "I've missed you!"

I laughed at the bizarre line and hugged him back awkwardly with my good arm. He pulled back to look at my cast and his eyes enlarged.

"How did you manage that in your first week?" He asked, incredulously.

"Long story." I said, with a wink.

He rushed inside to get a pen to write on my cast. "I've gotta be the first one!" he cried. Charlie and I looked at each other and shrugged with a smile. Surprisingly, he didn't draw a dick like most boys would, he actually wrote a sweet 'get well soon' message. I smiled.

The longer I spent with Jacob, the more I felt like being around him was like basking in the late morning heat of the sun. He wasn't too hot, not too cold - just perfectly warm.

Full of Surprises

The mile-long crescent of First Beach was breath-taking. The water was dark grey, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the grey, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbour waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly grey from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue grey, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves.

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now the sun shone bravely in its halo of blue-grey sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

I looked at Jacob who was studying my face carefully. I nodded, not wanting to use my words to describe how I was feeling right now.

"C'mon." He said, smiling and taking my hand. Instinctively I took it away.

"Jacob-" I began.

"I'm sorry, my bad. I should have asked. I'm not trying to make a move on you or anything, I promise. I just don't want you to trip and fall, I know how clumsy you are." He apologised earnestly, and I could see no malintent in his eyes. Cautiously, I extended my hand.

"Next time, ask." We smiled at each other and picked our way down to the beach. Two of Jacob's friends, Quil and Embry, had gone ahead of us. Embry was slender, almost as tall as Jacob, with black, chin-length hair parted down the middle, one side tucked behind his left ear while the right side swung free. Quil was shorter, more baby-faced but burly, with a well-developed chest he seemed gleefully conscious of and dark curls framing his forehead. It turned out that Quil and I were distant cousins - his grandmother was Molly Swan, a relative of dad's.

They led the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with black ashes. The two boys went to gather broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge. Jacob took their absence as his chance to talk to me, although they soon had a tepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders.

"How was school this week? As shitty as you were expecting?" He asked, bumping me with his shoulder. I winced - I still had a bruise there. Luckily he took it as an answer to his question. "Ah, worse?"

"Definitely worse. I made some friends, some enemies. You know how it is." A ghost of a smile lit my face.

"Enemies huh? Guess you aren't the good company I thought you were." He teased. Behind us, I heard one of the boys sing the lyrics "Bad, bad company till the day I die… Oh, yeah" and the other returned it with a laugh.

"I asked someone to come but… she was busy." I kicked stones with my feet, watching the action closely.

"Just someone? Who is she?" He picked up my serious tone and echoed it.

"Rosalie Cullen." Just then, the boys came back with the final load of driftwood and sat on either side of Jacob.

"You know, the Cullens don't come here. Maybe that's why your girlfriend didn't come." Embry said, attempting to sound nonchalant. Still, his tone implied that there was something more to the story, as if the Cullens weren't allowed. Jacob gave him a look.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Quil asked, claiming my attention with his innocent and excitable tone. He kneeled by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a cigarette lighter.

"No," I said as he placed the blazing twig carefully against the tepee. "You'll like this then - watch the colours." He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick quickly up the dry wood.

"It's blue," I said in surprise.

"The salt does it. Pretty, isn't it?" He lit one more piece, placed it where the fire hadn't yet caught, and then came to sit by Jacob again. I watched the strange blue and green flames crackle toward the sky for a little while the boys chattered. Then, I plucked up the courage to ask about the Cullens.

"Why don't they come here? The Cullens." The conversation fell and the boys shared a look.

"It's kind of a tribe thing." Quil said, shrugging his shoulders with a sad expression, as if he wished he could tell me.

"Quil, we're cousins!" I implored him. "And besides, I'm not going to tell anyone."

"I mean it's kind of just a scary story." Jacob said, trying to put me off further.

"Please? I love scary stories." It wasn't a lie, but it was true that I had a vested interest in the Cullens.

"Okay!" Embry exploded, "Okay, but don't tell a single living soul! Any of you! Especially your dad, Jacob!" I hadn't expected Embry to be the one to crack.

"Thank you!" I said. I drew my hand and cast together, as if I was clasping my hands in thanks.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from - the Quileutes, I mean?" he began.

"Not really," I admitted.

Quil picked the story up. "Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood - supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." He smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves — and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them."

Jacob's voice dropped low. "Then there are the stories about the cold ones."

"The cold ones?" I asked, leaning forward in intrigue.

"There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, Jacob's great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." Embry continued.

"Your great-grandfather?" I encouraged, staring intently at Jacob at the mention of his name.

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. The cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf- well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. They're kinda like werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one." Embry said darkly.

"So you see," Jacob continued, "the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did - they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." He winked at me.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why… ?"

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilised like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist." Embry deliberately worked a thick edge of menace into his tone.

"They were civilised because they claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead." Quil explained.

"So what does this have to do with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?" I asked, looking at Jacob.

"No." Embry answered, then paused dramatically. "They are the same ones."
"Dun dun duhh!" Quil interjected with a laugh. I smiled at him, then looked back at the other two boys.

"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived." Embry was fighting a smile now.

"And what are they?" I finally asked. "What are the cold ones?"

He smiled darkly. "Blood drinkers," he replied in a chilling voice. "Your people call them vampires."

"I bet she has goose bumps," Jacob laughed delightedly, bumping Embry with his shoulder.

"You're good storytellers." I complimented them.

"So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" Quil asked in a playful tone, but with a hint of worry. I guess my face hadn't betrayed me yet.

"No. I think you're very good at telling scary stories, though!" I smiled indulgently.

"Cool." He smiled.

"So about those cool rocks…" I asked Jacob.

We spent the rest of the afternoon collecting sea glass and rocks with interesting patterns. My favourite was a beige rock, slightly sparkly in places, with dark grey rings forming a bullseye. It was simple, but I couldn't figure out why it was formed the way it was, which made me like it. Jacob promised to take me to the rock pools here when my hand was healed. I had protested, but Embry said the only way they'd let me near them at the moment was if they had a toddler harness to pull me back with.

A few drops were beginning to fall, making black spots on the stones where they landed. With all the fun we were having, we had forgotten to watch the skies. We grabbed our bags quickly and ran towards the car park. I gave a brief wet hug to Quil and Embry, then Jacob and I returned to E.J.

We were giggling together by the time we slid into the cab. I turned the heating on with shaking hands, my teeth chattering in complaint. Jacob took off his wet raincoat and opened his hoodie.

"I'm like a hundred degrees over here, you know." He gave me a lopsided grin. I gladly tucked myself under his arm and warmed up in silence. He must have felt the slight wetness of my fallen tear because he searched for my face.

"What's wrong, Bella?" He asked.

"It's just that… I've had a really rough week. Seeing you guys made me smile again and I'm sad it's over."

"Are the kids at school really bothering you?" He asked darkly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were serious earlier. I couldn't imagine anyone hating you."

"You could say that…" I chewed on my lip.

He put his finger under my chin and levelled my head with his. "All you have to do is give me names." He grinned, breaking the serious vibe.

I laughed, pulled away and fiddled with a thread on my jeans. "Jacob, you're very comforting to me. You're kind and sweet and," I punched his shoulder lightly, "warm. But I worry that I'm giving you the wrong idea. I'm just looking for a friend." I looked in his eyes and waited for the look of betrayal or disappointment that usually followed this kind of conversation, but it didn't come.

He lowered his voice again. "I like you a lot but I promise I'm not into you like that. I guess I just like to show you that I care and that comes out wrong sometimes."

"It's not wrong," I said quickly, "I just wanted to make sure that we're on the same page. I've had enough creepy guys bothering me lately as it is." I muttered the last part.

"Again, names!" He nudged me slightly. I sighed. "Please? I want to make sure you're okay." He asked earnestly.

"Alright, alright, you don't have to go all Charlie on me!" I paused. "Rosalie's brother, Edward. He was really hostile to me, my first day. The other night… He… Attacked me. That's how I broke my wrist. If it wasn't for Rose I don't know what would have happened." I sank further into Jacob's arm, hiding from the gravity of what I'd said.

I felt him go rigid and very still. He was usually like a wriggly puppy. "He broke your wrist?" He asked slowly.

I nodded. "And bruised my shoulder."

"So that's why you winced earlier." I nodded again.

I could feel his temperature rising and pulled away to look at his face. He looked pained and wild, as if he was fighting for control. Instinctively, I moved away on the bench of the cab. I knew that he wouldn't hurt me, but I wanted to give him some space.

"I want to comfort you, Bella. But I can't… I'm sorry, I have to go." His final words came out in a rush as he exploded out of the truck and took off running.

"Jacob! Jacob, wait!" I opened the door and stumbled out, falling to my knees, and ripping open my jeans. I crashed after him hoping my clumsy self wouldn't fall on a goddamn rock. I hit the tree line hoping to find him but I knew that it would be hopeless. The rain continued to fall around me as I leaned against a tree and sank to the ground, littered with pine needles. I didn't even cry as my brain filled with petrichor and melancholy. I'd made a friend and now I didn't know if I'd ever see him again. Everyone in this town hated me.

"I should just go home." I whispered to myself. But was home really Arizona? Where I lived in essential servitude to my hare-brained mother? I didn't have friends there either. If I left, nothing would change. I stood up and lumbered back to my truck. My wrist ached, my body was exhausted, my bleeding knees stung. But still, I was determined to make this work. I would make sure that Jacob was okay as soon as I could, even if he didn't want to see me. I would see Rosalie tomorrow and demand answers from her. I was done messing around. This was my life the Cullens were playing with, and I wasn't about to let them fuck it up. I called Charlie and asked if someone from the station could give us a lift. Jacob was missing.

When I awoke the next morning he still hadn't been found. Dad brought me some cereal in bed and told me of all they were doing to find him. So far, the perks of being the Chief's daughter had kept me from answering too many questions about the discussion we'd had before he left but I knew that wouldn't last and I was right. Luckily, since it was just Charlie I wasn't so anxious at the thought of embellishing the truth. I was helping him. Dad took my hand and asked me to recall last night.

"It was about… Some guy I knew. He hurt me and Jacob got mad. I think he sees me like another one of his sisters and he couldn't bear the thought of someone hating me. He said he wanted to comfort me, but he had to go. Then he ran off into the woods and I fell over trying to follow him. By the time I'd got up, he was gone."

Of course, dad was worried after that. When Rose came, he didn't want me to leave, and I think he was worried that I would decide to follow him myself. I reassured him that I'd already planned on going on a drive to clear my head today and Charlie was set at ease once he saw who had come to collect me. Blonde hair piled both elegantly and effortlessly in a bun upon her perfect head Rosalie slid out of a monster of an expensive Jeep, khaki green and partly caked with mud on the rims. She was wearing a charcoal grey leather jacket and black skin-tight hiking pants, her socks folded fashionably over the ends to show off her leather hiking boots.

"I wouldn't usually be caught dead in a truck this dirty." She said matter-of-factly as she strutted towards us. "Emmett decided to take it for a joyride last night." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Anyway, hello again Chief Swan." She extended a perfectly manicured hand, and I was surprised to see that her nails weren't the long claws I expected from her. Instead, they were cleanly rounded with around a centimetre of brilliant white at the tips.

Charlie gave a crinkled smile and shook her hand back. "Nice strong handshake," he complimented her, "where are you girls going today?" He asked warily, eyeing Emmet's Jeep.

"A hike." She said mysteriously. "I'll keep her upright." She reassured Charlie, giving me a side-eye.

Charlie invited Rosalie into the house while I went to dig out my hiking boots. I had a feeling that Charlie liked her. He wouldn't trust just anybody to take me on a hike with my track record - maybe not even Jacob. Jacob. My heart gave a twang. Another thing that the Cullens - or at least Edward Cullen - had ruined.

"Don't be a stranger now, Rose!" Charlie called after us as we headed out the door. "And no more injuries, Bells!"

With my small stature, I struggled to get into the passenger seat of the Jeep. I was even more embarrassed by that fact when Rosalie pulled me one-handed into the SUV.

"You didn't have to do that…" I mumbled, fumbling with the complicated restraints.

"Clearly I did, you're so incompetent sometimes that it should be considered a disability."

I stared at her. "Actually, I am considered disabled." She looked away; all venomous remarks dried up. I hadn't wanted to embarrass her, but it was important to say.

I let her stew in silence for a little before I asked where we were headed. The news of a hike was new to me.

"It's a place I go where I can be myself, no mask. I think you'll like it, it's very beautiful."

"Then it will suit you." I hadn't meant for that to come out. I quickly redirected the conversation. "Although I'm not a good hiker - you'll have to be very patient."

"I can be patient." She paused. "If I make a great effort." She conceded, smiling at me. I was dazzled by the effect. I could tell that she didn't smile that light-heartedly often. I wanted more.

When we arrived, I realised that the trail Rose had in mind wasn't as hard as I had feared. The way was mostly flat, and Rosalie held the damp ferns and webs of moss aside for me. It was surprising how willing she was to actually use her perfect hands. When the path took us over fallen trees or boulders, she would help me, lifting me effortlessly, and then releasing me when I was clear. Her cold touch on my skin never failed to make my heart thud erratically, but I wasn't sure if it was being in the presence of such a goddess that caused it or her icy hands. Still, they didn't seem to burn through my clothes like Edward's did. They were the cold relief of a popsicle on a summer's day.

For the most part, we walked in silence. I wasn't on the same level as Rosalie, and I didn't feel… Worthy of talking with her. When I watched her, she seemed in her element, much more carefree than she was around others. I wondered how heavy the burden of seeming perfect was for her.

The hike took me most of the morning, but she never showed any sign of impatience, much to my surprise. The forest spread out around us in a boundless labyrinth of ancient trees that I would be perfectly happy to get lost in forever with my present company. I had thought that being in this green maze would feel suffocating, but clearly, today never ceased to surprise.

It was warm now, warmer than it had been in Forks since the day I'd arrived. I'd missed the warmth a little but not nearly as much as my mother had said I would. Still, I was glad that as we walked the light that filtered through the canopy had transformed from a murky olive tone, shifting to a brighter jade.

"Do you see the brightness ahead?" She asked suddenly, turning around to look at me.

I peered into the thick forest. "Um, should I?"

She smiled kindly. "Ah. It's probably a bit soon for your eyes." I fell silent, quizzical.

After another hundred yards, I started to see a more pronounced lightening in the trees ahead, a glow that shone yellow instead of green. Rosalie picked up her pace, so much so that it was difficult to keep up with her long, eager stride. She seemed to have a childlike wonder and excitement in her step.

The light blinded me until I reached the edge of the pool of light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into the most idyllic place I had ever seen. The meadow was small, perfectly round, and filled with wildflowers - violet, yellow, and soft white. Somewhere nearby, I could hear the bubbling music of a stream. The sun was directly overhead, filling the circle with a haze of buttery sunshine, like being in the presence of Rosalie herself. I walked slowly, awestruck, through the soft grass, swaying flowers, and warm, gilded air. Then, I turned around, searching for her. I wanted to see which was more beautiful, since I was sure that it would be Rose. She was standing under the damp shade of the canopy at the edge of the hollow watching me with a curious gaze. She seemed almost desperate for my approval, which was not an expression I would have ever thought I'd see in her.

As I walked towards her, anxiety grew in her face. She stared down, almost afraid. When I stood in front of her, she reacted in surprise, almost as if she thought I'd never reach her or that I would get distracted and forget about her on the way. I cautiously took her hands in mine, wondering if she would pull away. She didn't. I stepped back slowly, and she allowed me the full extent of her long arms before taking a deep breath and following me into the bright glow of the midday sun.

107

For a minute, time stopped. Rose was… Beyond words. She was the dew drops on the morning grass, she was the midnight sun to my bland moth, she was the pearls of rain on the most lovingly handcrafted stained-glass window a master had ever made. No, in fact she was more than that. Her skin, now illuminated in the sun-drunk meadow, glistened like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. Her pale, marble white pallor that looked so sickened in the fluorescent lights of the cafeteria was now lit by an inner glow, rendering it almost see-through, with crimson veins twisting themselves through her shining body like blood rooting itself through snow.

"You're everything." I whispered in amazement, so low that I thought she wouldn't hear. The ghost of a smile lit her face.

"That's one I haven't heard yet." She looked down at her feet. Hesitantly, afraid she would disappear like a mirage, too flawless to be real… I reached out my finger and stroked her shimmering cheek, marvelling at the perfect texture. Satin smooth, cool stone. She looked at me in one fluid motion, lost, seeking guidance. Her eyes were butterscotch today, lighter and warmer than any colour I could picture in my head. The meadow, as I had imagined, paled next to her beauty.

Suddenly, I blinked, and Rosalie was no longer in reach. I whirled around, stumbling as if I'd lost my only anchor to this world. Her cool and trembling hands caught me before I could fall too far and she lowered me to the ground before daintily kneeling in the wildflowers.

"I'm sorry. Don't I… Scare you?"

"N-noo!" I fumbled, sitting upright.

"Why not?" She pleaded, imploring me with her eyes. "You should be afraid of me. I want you to be afraid of me. I am."

"I-I don't understand. Rosalie please-"

"I'm the world's best predator. Everything about me invites you in - my voice, my face, even my smell. But please," She continued, lowering her voice. "Don't be fooled." She looked as if she was about to cry. "You couldn't outrun me, you couldn't fight me off…" She whispered and picked a flower, crushing it into dust between two fingers.

"What are you?" I whispered.

"I am…" She leaned her forehead against mine, shameful. "I am a vampire."

"It doesn't matter." I said softly. "It doesn't matter to me what you are." I repeated, more strongly now.

"You don't care if I'm a monster? If I'm not… Human?" She searched my eyes.

"No. Because… You're you. And you would never hurt me. You're a protector, not a murderer." I was confident that

I was right.

She pulled away and stared bleakly into the distance. "You're wrong. I am a murderer. But I would never hurt you. My track record is clean as far as innocents go."

I took her hand. "Tell me your story, Rose."

She sighed. "I was 18 and I was beautiful." She smiled at me.

"I'm 107 now." It dropped.

"It was 1933 and my life was perfect. I was pleased that men's eyes watched me everywhere I went from the moment I turned 12." She curled her lip in disgust. "I wanted to be loved, to be adored - I didn't care where that attention came from. I began to dream of a huge, flowery, gorgeous wedding. A wedding where everyone in town would watch me walk down the aisle on my father's arm and shed a tear that I didn't belong to them instead. Admiration was like air to me, Bella. I was silly, and shallow and… stupid."

"Traumatised."

She ignored me and pressed on. "That was my greatest wish in life, until my close friend, Vera had a son. He was a beautiful, angelic little boy with tiny dimples and curly black hair. It was the first time I had ever felt truly jealous of anyone else my entire life. I know it must be hard to understand - it was a different time and I thought, wrongly, that I was ready for it all - I yearned for my own little baby, a husband who would kiss me when he got home from work, just like Vera."

She laughed bitterly. "That was until I was betrothed to Royce King the Second. His family was so powerful, they owned almost every business in town. At first Royce seemed to be everything I'd dreamt of - the fairy tale prince, come to make me a princess."

"I was at Vera's that night," Rosalie whispered. Her face was smooth as marble, and as hard. "When I went home it was dark in the streets, the lamps already on. I hadn't realised how late it was." She continued to whisper almost inaudibly. "It was cold, too. Very cold for late April. The wedding was only a week away, and I was worrying about the weather as I hurried home - I can remember that clearly. I remember every detail about that night. I clung to it so hard in the beginning… I still do, when so many of my pleasant memories have faded away completely…"

"I was a few streets away from my house when I heard them. A cluster of men under a broken street lamp, laughing far too loud. Drunk. I wish that I'd called my father to escort me home, but I didn't want to make a fuss. I was… Naïve. I didn't understand then, what men are capable of. As I drew closer, I heard Royce calling my name."

"I went over to him. He grabbed me and asked his friends 'What did I tell you, John, isn't she lovelier than all your Georgia peaches?'"

"'It's hard to tell, she's all covered up.' He replied."

She paused. "I remember my buttons scattering all over the streets, my hairpins ripping my hair from the roots… The sound of their laughs mingled with my screams… I waited in the road to die. I was impatient for it to come, the cold was bothering me and it had started to snow. I just wanted it to be over - for the pain to go away. It didn't." She closed her eyes briefly.

"Esme, my adoptive mother, was the one who found me. She brought me to her home and begged Carlisle to save me. I didn't know it then, but Carlisle had turned her when she attempted suicide by jumping off a cliff - her abusive husband had killed her baby. Esme thought that I would be grateful to be saved, like her. Some days, I am."

"As I slipped away, I was grateful when the pain began to dull. Then, something sharp was cutting me. My throat, my wrists, my ankles… I screamed in shock, thinking they'd brought me there to hurt me more after all. I begged them to kill me, but Carlisle held my hand and said that he was sorry every time I screamed. He promised that it would end."

"Edward wasn't happy. He didn't want me soiling his perfect little family. He said my name like there was something wrong with me. He thought that I deserved what happened to me for being so… Spoilt." She flushed, either out of embarrassment or anger.

"When the pain finally ended, and they explained to me what I was…" She trailed off. "I knew that my life had ended and there was no going back for me. I felt thirst, my hard skin; I saw my brilliant red eyes…"

"Red?" I questioned.

She smiled at me. "I'll get to that part."

"After I realised how strong I was, I wanted revenge. I killed the five of them, saving Royce for last. He knew what was coming for him by the end - he was hiding inside a windowless room behind a door as thick as a bank vault's, guarded by armed men. I was… A little theatrical back then. It was kind of childish really. I wore a wedding dress I'd stolen for the occasion. I still remember his scream when he saw me." She laughed darkly.

"I've never tasted human blood. I'm almost as clean as Carlisle. I didn't want any part of them in me, you see. I was lucky that the venom burned up any… Fluid I had in me before I turned." She winced. "My eyes… They're only now yellow because my family feast on animal blood. When we first turn, our bodies use up the blood already inside our human body, hence the redness."

"When I first saw you, your eyes were black."

"You remember," she mused. "They get like that when we're hungry."

"And you're not hungry now." I surmised. She put her hand on my chest faster than I could comprehend and pushed me back into the grass lightly, straddling and hovering above me.

"Want to test that theory?" She purred. I laughed, blushing and we sat up. "Maybe just a little hungry for your reaction."

"Like I said, I'm not scared." I sounded much braver now.

"I'm so glad," she mused, "the only ones who understand my family and I are, well, my family. I just…" She hung her head. "I wish my stupid brother didn't mess this up for me. Then we wouldn't have to leave."

"You're leaving?" I asked gently. I knew this was too good to be true. Good things don't happen to people like me.

"I have to. Edward won't stop until you're his." I shivered. "He has this screwed up idea that you're his soulmate."

"Me? W-why?"

"Some members of our family have special gifts. Alice can see the future, that's how I got to you so fast. Jasper can manipulate the emotions of people around him and Edward can read every mind except for yours. I don't know why, but he seems to think that means you're perfect for him. Just another example of men feeling entitled enough to take what they want at the expense of women like us." She balled her fists.

"So that's why you have to leave your home. Because of me." I mumbled.

Rosalie took my hand and lifted my chin with a single slender finger. "Not because of you. Because I couldn't let anything happen to you."

"Same difference…"

"No!" She argued fiercely. "No." She lowered her voice again. "Bella, when I was turned, I was frozen in time as a victim, but I've always been expected to act like a survivor. I wouldn't wish that on any innocent person, and I would never forgive myself if I could have stopped it but chose not to out of my own selfishness. I am a selfish creature, but this is the one place I stand firmly."

"You're not selfish, in fact, you're too selfless. I understand if that's why you have to leave, I just wish you could stay here with me."

She lay down, as if tired. "Me too." She sighed. "You have me for today though, I made sure of that. Anything you want, if I can give it to you I will. Anything you ask, if I can answer it I will."

I moved to sit towards the top of her head and gently folded her pale, golden hair into my lap to begin braiding it. "Could you sing for me?" I whispered. "I want to remember your voice."

"Standing there by a broken tree

Her hands are all twisted, she's pointing at me

I was damned by the light, coming out of her eyes

She spoke with a voice that disrupted the sky

She said, "Walk on over here to the bitter shade.

I will wrap you in my arms and you'll know that you're saved."

Let me sign

Let me sign…"

I cried when I woke up in my own, cold bed. The warmth of the meadow was a million miles away and I felt like I had just woken up from most up beautiful dream I would ever experience. Nothing would be as perfect again. The only thing I had to tell me that what I remembered from yesterday was real, was the bouquet of wildflowers on my windowsill and a CD on my desk marked For Bella.

Just then, dad knocked on my door and I quickly pulled myself together.

"Come in." I called.

"Hey Bells. Sleep well?" I nodded. "Your friend Rose brought that by this morning." He inclined his head towards the CD and then noticed the flowers by the open window. "When did you get these? And why'd you open the window? It wasn't open when I came in and those weren't here either."

It dawned on me. I leapt out of bed and hurried towards the window, looking for a card in the flowers.

'My dearest Bella,' it read, 'I know what you talked about in the meadow yesterday. Please know that no number of obstacles between you and I will keep me from your side. Not even if those obstacles are a part of my family. I will see you in your dreams. Your deepest love, Edward.'