In The Midnight Hour Chapters 1 To 4 Revised

IMPORTANT NOTE!!! PLEASE READ!! You’ll notice that I’ve reposted chapters 1-4 of my fan fic. There is good reason for this. I’ve been getting lots of comments saying that my storyline was too close to Twilight. So I’ve edited the first four chapters to make them more different. Please note that I’ve made significant changes to the story, especially to Vivian’s character. So please read these chapters again even if you’ve already read the previously posted chapters YOU WILL BE LOST IF YOU JUST CONTINUE FROM CHAPTER FIVE WHEN I POST IT. Also I’ve added a prologue to the beginning, this is new and has not been posted before. I hope that you will still enjoy my story even after all my changes! Please comment and critique! (chapter five is on the way shortly)

In the midnight hour – a twilight fan fiction by Sarah_Rheanne

“I have seen too many frightful proofs in court - the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!” – Arthur Miller, The Crucible, Act 2, Scene 3 Preface The pain was greater then anything I could imagine. It was all I could do to not cry out in alarm. I knew then that it was a trap, and I had fallen for it. I prayed with everything I had that the others wouldn’t fall for it too. I looked up into his face, the face that had once smiled at me and knew I had been betrayed. “Liar.” I whispered “You won’t win.” He grinned evilly; his eyes black with rage, and then everything went black.

Chapter 1 Vivian The church was dark, candles flickered from where they were placed intermittently across the altar and make shift stage. Many teenagers were standing in front of the stage where the band played a serene tune. Most of them were singing along, some with their eyes closed others following the words on the large overhead projection. Everyone seemed completely entranced in the praise and worship song that had kept my attention only moments earlier. I had caught the sound of a whimsical harmony that brought me abruptly out of my reverie, and glanced around the room of unfamiliar faces. That’s when I saw him for the first time. He was standing near the back of the crowded room, tall, and frighteningly beautiful. His pale skin seemed to glow slightly in the dim lighting. He appeared to be singing, like the rest of the crowd, and his striking elegance made me wonder if the stunning voice I heard floating above the rest was his. His face was captivating, though it was mostly expressionless, a hint of calm traced around his brilliant eyes. Though he didn’t meet my gaze I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his. “Vivian!” someone next to me hissed. I looked away from him suddenly, startled by the low whisper. Cassandra, the girl who lived next door to my grandmother, Iris, looked at me critically, one eye brow raised. “What are you staring at?” she asked curiously. “Um, do you know who that boy is, the one in the back row there?” I asked, mimicking her low whisper. She looked over her shoulder, in the direction I had gestured. She saw who I was referring to and rolled her eyes before turning back to me. “Oh, him,” She shrugged then sighed. “That’s Isaac Cullen, he’s gorgeous isn’t he?” She didn’t wait for me to respond. “Though, he’s never shown any interest in any of the girls here in town so I wouldn’t bother.” “I hadn’t planned on it.” I mumbled. She continued, not acknowledging my words. “His father is a doctor at the hospital, but I don’t think their family lives in town. He has lots of sibling too, all equally gorgeous, you’ll probably see them around at school.”

The feel of the music changed just then, a faster, heavy beat filled the room. Cassandra turned then remarking that she loved the current song and began clapping and dancing with the rest of the crowd. I too, tried to focus on the music, throwing myself whole-heartedly into the song, but the back of my mind was now elsewhere. I flopped, exhausted onto my bed, which was messy, I had forgotten to make it this morning. The concert at church had taken a lot out of me, especially after all the extra energy moving had taken. I rolled onto my back and glanced around my new room on the second floor of Iris’s classic, old farm house where I had moved with my mother, Tanya. It had a fresh coat of eggplant coloured paint on the walls and heavy, home made red wine curtains over the windows, my grandmother’s handiwork. She had called my mother at Christmas, inquiring of my current favourite colours and tastes. She had then set her bridge club loose in my bedroom with a can of purple paint and a sewing machine. I reflected on the events of the last few months, remembering the day when Tanya had told me we were moving. I had thrown a tantrum that was very unlike me, I usually didn’t complain much, but I loved our little two bedroom cottage style home in Henderson, Nevada. I loved the dry heat and the homey little community that I had so quickly become attached to, when Tanya and I had moved in when I was just ten years old. I didn’t want to leave. But now Iris needed someone to come take care of her, or she’d be forced to give up the family home in Salem, Massachusetts, the very same house Tanya had grown up in. I hated Salem. It rained, a lot, and had an average temperature of 52 degrees, plus I wasn’t so good with horror stories and the local history was laced with them. But I had nowhere else to go, my father had taken off long before I could remember, no word, not in almost eighteen years. So here I was, sentenced to rainy little Salem for the remainder of my senior year of high school, after which I could escape to college, hopefully somewhere warmer then Massachusetts. I turned out the light and crawled into bed. I sighed and curled into a ball underneath my old faded quilt and tried not to think of the home I had left behind. The wind rattled the window frame; I pulled my pillow over my head, the weather in Henderson was much less noisy. I knew it would be a long night. I awoke the next morning still tired, the dull roar of the wind made it very difficult to fall asleep. I had tossed restlessly most of the night, finally settling into a light sleep for a few hours. I got ready for the day numbly, with out thinking about what I was doing. I paused for a long moment, examining my painfully ordinary features in the long oval bathroom mirror. My face was oval shaped; I had dull green eyes that seemed to go alright with my always fair skin. My years of living in a desert climate had done nothing to alter the pallor of my skin, which only made the deep circles of sleeplessness under my eyes more noticeable. My hair was painfully straight, and hung right down to my waist, and was a boring shade of mousy brown. I must have gotten it from my father because my mother had brilliant copper hair, with a bouncing curl in it and her green eyes were much brighter then mine, making our Irish heritage very apparent. I was not tall, but like the rest of my looks, I was an average height, and a lean sporty figure which I had gotten from being on

the cheerleading team. I wasn’t extraordinary, you might say pretty but plain. Just then Iris called up the stairs to me. “Vivian! Come on it’s time to go!” I sighed, turning away from my reflection and headed down the stairs. I joined Tanya and Iris in the car, my eyebrows rising in surprise when I noticed that Cassandra was also in the car. She grinned at me as I belted myself in and then started chattering at Iris. The ride to church continued in this manner. I sat, quietly, staring out the window while Cassandra chattered endlessly to no one in particular. I gave another heavy sigh as we pulled into the parking lot at church, today was technically our first official day in Salem, even though we had arrived Friday evening. My mother and I had spent Saturday settling in, and even though I had gone out with Cassandra Saturday evening, I had only met a few of her sophomore friends, and I was dreading being dragged through formal introductions with all of Iris’s friends, and she knew everybody. I was really not a people person. I sat expressionless between Iris and Cassandra, feeling the stares of the rest of the parish on my back. Already I had gone through the same conversation several times since walking into the church. “Oh you must be Iris’s granddaughter!” Someone would say, approaching me. I’d nod in affirmation. “Vivian right?” They’d continue. I’d nod again. Then they’d prattle on for a few minutes about how nice it was too meet me and how much I’d like it here, or how they had heard so much about me. I knew it was supposed to be a warm welcome, but to me it held some sort of annoyance, not just at the welcome wagon, but also at myself for being so determined to remain deeply rooted in my hatred at the town. I didn’t want to be here, but I didn’t want them to know it, so I faked a smile and pretended I was enjoying the morning in the crowded small town church. It must have been sometime around the homily when I noticed him again. Isaac Cullen, looking absolutely perfect, sat next to a very attractive blond man who couldn’t have been more then 30 and looked like a movie star, and a petite brunette woman, who was extremely pretty and about the same age as the blond man. My best guess was that these were Isaac’s adoptive parents, Dr. Cullen and his wife, but they both looked so young that they could have been his siblings. Like Isaac, they were stunning and very pale; I found it difficult to look away, thankfully they were the only ones not staring at me, so my gaze went unnoticed. After mass I was once again swarmed by the many people wanting introductions and I didn’t notice the Cullens slipping out without a word to anyone. Cassandra was still talking when we dropped her off at the end of her drive way after brunch. She waved madly, shouting about seeing me at school tomorrow as we drove way. I spent the rest of the day helping Tanya moved boxes of stuff that didn’t fit in the house into the garage and finishing up the laundry. I tried not to think of what lay in wait for me at school the next day. The wind blew so loud again that I spent the night with my head buried under my pillow and blankets. I woke up still tired and flopped back against my pillows, lacking the will to move from the cocoon my blankets had become during the restless night. I realized I wanted to go in early to see if I could join the cheer team so I dragged myself from under the covers. Luckily I had had my fit of indecision over what to wear last night and only had

to try and fix the horror that was my hair. Eventually I managed to get it into a nicely controlled ponytail, it would have to do for my first day. Iris was standing in the kitchen when I entered. I smelled fresh muffins and grinned, Iris’s homemade muffins were the best way to make a bad day better. “Well Vivian you look lovely this morning. Are you excited for your first day of school?” she said turning from the oven. I nodded weakly. “Sure Grandma, thrilled.” “You’ll be just fine Hun, all the kids are great. You’ll have tons of friends in no time.” “Of course. Well I don’t want to be late. I’m going to see if they’ll let me onto the cheer team.” I grabbed a muffin, and my school bag and head for the door. “Say hi to mom for me when you see her.” I called over my shoulder. I climbed into my beat up Toyota that was far older then I was, and tossed my bag onto the passenger seat. The engine roared when I turned the key. I took a couple of deep breaths before backing out of the driveway. The school was only a couple of miles away, but it was further then I wanted to walk. Back home in Henderson there had been a nice retired gentleman that live down our street who refurbished cars as a hobby and he had sold me this one cheap before we moved. When I entered the school’s parking lot there were very few cars in it, I figured they probably belonged to the staff, judging by how early I had arrived. I was glad I had some extra time to familiarize myself with the school, if only briefly, before class started, so I wouldn’t have to spend the day with a map glued to my face. I found what appeared to be the main entrance to the large building and was happy to discover that there was a large sign directing me to the gym. Cheer practice had already started. I stood in the doorway and watched. It seemed that Salem High School had a fairly descent team. It wasn’t long before the team captain noticed me standing there. She was tall and thin and very blond. A stereotypical cheerleader I thought as she approached. “Can I help you?” She asked in a stuck up tone. “Yes, actually.” I said uneasily. “I’m new here and,” “The office is back the way you came.” She interrupted pointing down the hallway. “I know. I saw it on my way here.” “Then what do you want?” By this time most of the team had gathered around us and was waiting eagerly to hear what I had to say. “Well, like I was saying, I’m new here and I was wondering if I could join the team. I know I’ve probably missed try outs and everything.” “You have missed try outs, and we can’t just let you join in the middle of the year, just because you’re new.” The blond captain said. “Hey wait a minute,” one of the other girls stepped out from the group. “We should give her a chance Tori, it’s not her fault she missed try outs. Besides you don’t know, she might be really good.” “Alright, fine.” Tori said. “If you can pick up the routine by the end of the week you can try out.” “Thank you.” Tori lead the way back into the gym to where they had been practicing.

“Thanks.” I said to the brunette who had stood up for me. “I’m Vivian by the way.” “Don’t worry about it, Tori doesn’t like anybody.” She replied quietly. “I’m Steph.” I watched the routine the team was working on once before trying to follow along. Tori didn’t make it easy for me but the routine was fairly straightforward. By the time they finished up I was out of breath, and confident that I could make the team. After practice I found my way to the main office. It wasn’t far away. The secretary was on the phone when I entered. She glanced up and smiled apologetically; I smiled back and leaned against the counter to wait. I glanced around the small room; it looked like any school office would. There were piles of pamphlets on the counter in front of me ranging in topic from academic programs to eating disorder information. Behind me there was a row of plastic chairs against the wall. The room was a dull ugly shade of yellow. Behind the counter that divided the room was the secretary’s cluttered desk as well as a second desk that appeared to belong to her assistant. There was a small woman perched there typing madly at her shabby looking computer. Behind that there were several doors with name plates on them. Though I didn’t take note of the names but I assumed that they were the principals’ offices. The secretary finished her phone call at the same time I had finished my assessment of the office. “Can I help you?” She smiled. “Yes, I’m Vivian Bishop, the new student, who should I talk to about my schedule?” “Oh!” She grinned wider at me. “You’re Iris’s granddaughter! We’ve been expecting you!” I raised one eyebrow in curiosity. “Iris is a friend of mine; we knew you were coming months ago. Your grandmother was very excited, you see.” I shouldn’t have been surprised, Iris knew everyone. “I have your schedule all ready to go for you here,” She passed me a piece of yellow paper with a photocopied timetable on it. “Oh and here’s a map of the school, it can be a bit confusing on your first day. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble at all, though if you should you just come see me, I’ll get you sorted out.” She passed me a second sheet, this one blue, with the map on it. “Thanks.” I smiled weakly as I turned to leave. I silently wondered if everyone here would be that perky. “Oh Vivian! I almost forgot,” I turned back towards her. “If I could get you get your teachers to sign this and then return it to me after school?” “Sure, no problem.” I took yet another paper from her and then swiftly exited the office only to walk right into one of the arriving students and drop everything on the ground. “I am so sorry; I should really watch where I’m walking.” I mumbled, bending down to gather the scattered papers. “Oh, that’s alright,” a male voice responded, I didn’t look up at him. “I don’t mind when a pretty girl bumps into me.”

I blushed, then straightened up and finally looked at him. He was tall, with sandy brown hair and a charming smile, which to me looked rehearsed. “You must be new here, I’m Brian.” He offered his hand which I shook, numbly. “I’m Vivian.” I replied politely. He started to speak again, but recognizing the look on his face, I interrupted him. “Yes, I am Iris’s granddaughter.” Brian laughed. “I knew it! Say, what’s your first class?” I glanced down at the yellow page in my hand for the first time. “Uh, Spanish in 113.” “Hey me too! I’ll walk you there, if you’d like. I’ll be your tour guide.” He casually put one hand on the small of my back and waved the other out in front of him like a TV game show host. “And to my left, down this mundane corridor you will see first hand a small group of high school freshmen in their natural habitats; don’t get to close though they bite.” He said in a low accented voice. I laughed; at least he had a sense of humour. I found myself relaxing just a little bit, but I wished Brian didn’t have his arm around me. A few minutes of small talk later and I found myself being nudged into room 113 by the head of the school’s welcome wagon. There were already a few students there, gathered in clumps around the classroom. One group looked up at us when Brian and I entered. I recognized Tori and Samantha from cheer practice earlier. He nudged me forward, towards that particular cluster. I assumed these were his friends. “Guys! I want to introduce you to Vivian, Iris’s granddaughter.” Brian called out as we approached. His friends clustered around us like I was some shiny new toy Brian had gotten for Christmas. Brian made casual introductions, gesturing at each person as he said their names. “Samantha, Julian, Tori, and that loser over there is Andrew.” At that a guy who was sitting at the desk behind the group glanced up and grinned. “Shut up Brian.” Someone cleared their throat from the front of the classroom. I turned to see a tall wiry man with dark hair and glasses standing in front of the black board. “Time to get started guys.” He said with a Latin accent. Everyone shuffled to sit in their seats. I walked back up the aisle to the teacher’s desk. He frowned at me. “Um, hi,” I said quietly. “I’m new here, and the secretary needs you to sign this.” I passed him the paper. He took it and his frown relaxed. After reading it, he bent over the desk and signed it and passed it back to me. “Welcome to Salem Miss Bishop, here’s your text book.” “Thanks.” I made my way back down the aisle and pretended not to notice the stares of my new classmates. I sat in the only empty desk which happened to be in front of the boy Brian had said was Andrew. He threw me a lopsided grin before I sat down. On one side of me was Brian, and in front of me the pretty blond girl, Tori, the captain of cheer team. Tori turned around and glared at me, glancing between Brian and me. I guessed she didn’t appreciate Brian paying so much attention to me. I would have found a way to tell her I wasn’t interested if I thought it would have made a difference. On my other side were Samantha and Julian, but they weren’t paying much attention to me, for which I was grateful. I pulled out my laptop and did my best to pay attention to the lesson, whilst also

ignoring the intermittent stares of Brian, Tori and the rest of my classmates. At the end of the hour Brian leaned over the aisle towards me. “Vivian, what class do you have next?” I pulled out my schedule. “Ugh! I have gym next.” “What a coincidence I do too! Brian flashed another teen heartthrob smiles, Tori rolled her eyes. “I guess I’ll be walking you to class again.” “Super.” I said with a hint of sarcasm. As much as I thought it was nice of Brian to go out of his way to be nice to, he did come on pretty strong. And for someone who didn’t make friends easily, especially in a place she was trying very hard not to like, it was a little weird. When we reached the gym the junior class in first period was just finishing up. One team let up a cheer as one player sunk the winning basket. “Whoa! Who’s that big tall guy?” I asked, referring to the player who had scored. “Oh that’s Jacob Black.” Brian replied. “What is he, like six and half feet tall?” “Something like that, and he’s a great basketball player, but we can’t get him to join the team.” “Why not?” “I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with his girlfriend.” Brian gestured across the gym at a petit girl with bronze curls; she was pale with a slight flush to her cheeks and light chocolate eyes. She wore the same yellow t-shirt and black shorts as the rest of the class but she somehow managed to make every other girl in the room look plain. She ran over to Jacob and reached up and twined her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around, lifting her off the floor. When he put her down he kissed her lightly on the forehead and then turned towards the boys’ locker room. She turned and walked towards the girls’ locker room, though her walk was more like a graceful dance. When she passed me she paused and smiled then continued on. “Who’s she?” I asked, turning towards Brian. “Nessie Swan.” “She’s pretty.” At this Brian smirked. “You should see her sister.” He said. I raised an eyebrow at him. “She’s pretty too?” “Let’s just say if you were a guy I’d say more then she’s pretty.” I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or be highly offended. Luckily Brian changed the subject before I could respond. “Oh there’s Aimee.” He said. I looked towards the door that we had entered through. Aimee looked friendly enough. Brown hair, blue eyes, pretty smile. She sauntered over to where we were standing. “Hey Brian, who’s this?” “This is Vivian, she’s new.” “Hi there, I’m Aimee. Welcome to North Salem High.” “Thanks.” I smiled. Aimee’s welcome seemed actually genuine. “Ready for an exciting hour of basketball?” Aimee grinned.

“I’m not very good at basketball.” I replied. I didn’t add the number of injuries I had sustained, and inflicted, while participating in this particular sport. “That’s alright, I’m sure you’ll manage. I should go get changed though.” Aimee waved and headed for the locker room. Brian had already left for the guy’s locker room. I looked around for the gym teacher who turned out to be a tall balding man in a track suit. Coach Barnes signed the secretary’s form and went to his office to find me a uniform. Luckily I didn’t have to participate today. I could postpone that embarrassment until tomorrow. Both Aimee and Brian were very good at basketball, and I found out later that they were both on the school team. I thought it was a pity that Aimee wasn’t on the cheer team instead of the basketball team; I was actually starting to like her. After class was over Brian once again inquired what my next class was. “History, in 217.” I said. “Andrew’s in that class.” Brian said thoughtfully. “And I’m headed in that general direction.” Aimee added. “Great.” I replied. Brian was headed in the opposite direction then us, but he said he’d see us at lunch time. Aimee and I walked quietly for a few minutes. Then Aimee broke the silence. “I’m not that great at small talk,” She said. “But I guess it would be appropriate to ask how your first day is going.” “My first day is going surprisingly better then I thought it would, thanks for asking.” I smiled. “And I’m no good at small talk either.” I could tell Aimee and I would be friends in no time. “So where did you move from?” “Henderson, Nevada.” “Wow, talk about your climate shock right?” “I know! How do you guys stand the temperature here?” “You get used to the weather.” Aimee paused then. I stopped too. “You’re classroom is two doors down that hallway.” She said. “Thanks.” I said. “See you later?” “For sure” She was definitely the nicest person I had met today. I walked the short distance to my classroom. I saw Andrew sitting in his seat already when I got there. I went and talked to the teacher and then went and sat down next to him. He threw me another lopsided grin. “Hi there.” He said brightly. “Hi, Andrew, right?” “That’s me, and you’re Vivian.” I nodded in response. He leaned towards me across the aisle. “It’s very nice to meet you Vivian.” He said in a low, almost seductive voice. History class passed uneventful. Andrew kept mostly to himself and I found myself alone for the first time since I bumped into Brian earlier that morning, as I walked to my next class. Chemistry, the only class so far with none of my new friends in it. I was glad to have the hour to prep myself for what ever lunch was going to throw at me. I walked into the cafeteria cautiously, only to see that Brian was waving at me from the other end of the large room. I went over to where he was standing by a large table. There were already a few people sitting there including Aimee and Andrew. I also

recognized a few people from my Spanish class this morning. There were a few others that I didn’t know. Aimee gestured for me to sit next to her and Brian sat down on my other side. “Vivian, that’s Matt, Abby, and Luke.” Aimee pointed out the ones I didn’t recognize. “And you’ve met Tori, Samantha and Julian already right?” I nodded. I pulled out my lunch, even though I wasn’t especially hungry. I did my best to follow the conversation and pretend to be involved in it. I saw Cassandra sitting across the crowded cafeteria with the other sophomores. She caught my eye and waved frantically at me. I hesitated but waved back, less enthusiastically. “Who is that?” Tori asked, disgust coloring her voice. She obviously thought that she was better then the younger students in the school. “My grandma’s neighbour Cassandra Bristol.” I couldn’t help making my response sound like she obviously should have known this already. “Oh.” She ignored me after that and I was secretly glad. About half way through lunch I felt someone’s gazed on me. I glanced around the room and saw a pale faced, bronze haired boy looking at me curiously. I met his gaze and he looked away. That’s when I noticed that Isaac Cullen was sitting next to the one who had been staring at me. There were seven of them in total, and they all looked very much a like. Except for the tall boy Brian said was Jacob, they were all very pale, with golden eyes and all devastatingly beautiful. Jacob on the other hand had russet skin and dark eyes. “Vivian, what are you looking at?” Aimee asked me just then. “Are those the Cullens?” I asked, though I was sure I already knew they answer. Aimee glanced in the direction I was looking. “Ya, they’re Dr. Cullen’s adopted and foster kids. Alice, Edward, and Isaac Cullen, Bella and Nessie Swan, Jasper Hale and Jacob Black.” She pointed to each of them as she said their names. “Aren’t they all gorgeous?” Alice was very tiny, and her short, spiky hair was jet black. She sat the furthest from us. Jasper sat across the table from Alice, he stared at her with a furrowed expression, like he was trying to figure out what she was thinking. He was thin and had honey blond wavy hair. Bella sat next to Alice, turned towards her deep in conversation. Brian had been right, Bella was very pretty, with long waves of mahogany hair and round features. The bronze haired boy who had been staring at me was Edward. He sat across from Bella, between Jasper and Isaac. He was talking quietly to Isaac as he absently reached across the table and took Bella’s hand. Isaac, who seemed to distract me when ever I saw him, seemed to be deeply interested in whatever Edward was saying. He had dark brown hair and appeared to be smaller then his brother who was lean but muscular. Nessie and Jacob sat across from Isaac, on Bella’s other side. They sat facing each other, so Jacob’s back was towards where I sat. They seemed to be part of Edward and Isaac’s conversation. Just then Nessie leaned around Jacob’s large frame and grinned at me. I dropped my gaze to the table and blushed. “They really are gorgeous,” I said to Aimee, not looking up. She giggled. “Have they lived here long?” I asked. Surely I would have noticed them at some point while visiting Iris.

“No they moved here about four years ago, from Forks, Washington.” Aimee didn’t wait for a response. “They’re all really weird too, like they are all couples, even though they live together.” “They aren’t actually related Aimee.” The girl named Abby chimed in. “I know that, but it’s still weird.” I didn’t need to ask which one were couples. I had seen Nessie and Jacob together in the gym, and Edward and Bella still had their fingers intertwined on the table top, and Alice and Jasper seemed to look at each other like there wasn’t anyone else in the room. The conversation drifted away from the Cullens, but I didn’t try to follow it. Soon I found myself walking next to Abby behind Tori and several other blonds, who in a way reminded me of Barbie dolls, towards my next class, which was art. I wandered over to the teacher and the others drifted off to their seats. After getting my paper signed I glanced around the class in search of a seat. There was one empty table left so I went over to it and sat, wondering who I would end up sharing the space with. In the midst of my wondering Isaac Cullen entered the room, at the same time, the air vent in the ceiling kicked on causing my hair to swirl around my face, and a stack of my papers fluttered to the ground. Isaac glanced, no, glared in my direction, his expression livid. I was so shocked I almost forgot to pick up the papers that were scattered on the floor. I blushed again as I wrenched my eyes from his angry, black ones and hurried to gather the fallen pages. “Mr. Cullen?” I heard the teacher’s voice question. There was no response. “Have a seat please.” Again no response. But as I straightened in my seat I saw Isaac walk stiffly to the table where I sat. Isaac grabbed the other chair and after pulling it as far away from me as possible sat down. He sat perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the table top. He had one hand over his face as if trying to block some horrible odour; the other was clenched in a tight fist on the table. The teacher, Ms. Chapman, asked that we all pull out our sketch books and work on the perspective assignment she had passed out. I opened my book and began sketching absently. Though art was undoubtedly my favourite subject, I found myself very unsettled after the brief, distant interaction with Isaac Cullen. Isaac bent to get his book from his bag and flipped it open. I could see out of the corner of my eye that he paused to watch me briefly, his flat black eyes filled with what could only be hate, and then settled back into stillness for the remainder of the extremely awkward period. I didn’t understand his apparent anger. I hadn’t even spoken to him before, so it couldn’t have been directed at me, but I was left with an uneasy feeling. As soon as the bell rang at the end of the period Isaac leapt up and strode quickly and fluidly out of the room. I walked silently to English class, unaware of the people chattering around me. I couldn’t stop thinking about how oddly Isaac had acted during art. It didn’t make sense for him to react so viciously towards me. I hoped mostly in vain that he was just in a bad mood and it had nothing to do with me. I sat down between Aimee and Brian in English; I feigned a good mood, hoping the effort would last for the last hour of the day. Just before class started I was surprised to see Edward Cullen and Bella Swan enter the room. She went straight to the back of the class, but he walked over the teacher.

“Ms. Middleton?” He said in a quiet velvety voice. “What can I do for you Mr. Cullen?” Ms. Middleton asked looking up from her desk. “I just wanted to let you know that my brother won’t be here today, he went home with the stomach flu.” “Thanks for informing me, and make sure you give him a copy of your notes.” “Will do.” He nodded slightly in her direction before proceeding to where Bella sat. I let out a small sigh. It wasn’t me; it was the stomach flu, nothing to worry about. Even so, I still felt uneasy. At the end of the day I returned to the office and after a brief exchange with the secretary I went out into the January cold. I climbed in to the safe haven of my car and took a deep breath. Day one was over and I had survived. If I could over look the irrational, unsettling reaction of a boy that I didn’t even know, the day wasn’t half bad. But I still didn’t like it here. Chapter 2 Isaac I stretched out on the thick caramel carpeting of my room. I glared at the ceiling, trying to burn holes in the stucco with my gaze. I was angry, angry and ashamed. In all my hundred and fifty years I’d never felt so weak, so drawn in by temptation. My mood plummeted as I recalled the events at school today. It had all started in the morning; when I saw her. I had arrived at school early. The rest of my siblings were probably on their way right now, but today I had needed to run, to get rid of some pent up energy that this life of constant hiding provided. Not many people had arrived yet, just some of the staff and a few students who came in early for practice. I meandered down the halls not really paying any attention to anything. But when I walked past the gym everything changed. The cheerleaders were practicing some new routine. That’s when I saw her, the new girl. I hadn’t planned on stopping, until I saw her. The thing that caught my eye was that I didn’t recognize her. I had a photographic memory so most of the students were familiar to me, but she wasn’t. And she wasn’t an ordinary student either. Generally the humans didn’t interest me. I didn’t like their smell, or their taste, but that just made me a very strange vampire. But this girl was intriguing. I could tell, even from a distance watching her, that she was energetic and vibrant. And the other girls didn’t hold a candle to her in the appearance department, which was saying something because I rarely noticed the humans at all, let alone the way they looked. Immediately warning bells started going off in my head. There were reasons why I didn’t notice the human girls. Reasons like I could killed them if they got to close to me or how they would run away screaming if they knew what I was. If I wanted to stay with the Cullens, my family, humans were to be kept at a distance. We all knew that, even Jacob who was basically still human.

I hurried away from the gym, pushing all thought of this new girl from my mind. She was off limits, so I wasn’t even going to think about her. Or at least I was going to try not to. I succeeded, until lunch time. I hadn’t really been paying much attention to what Nessie was saying, until I realized she was talking about the new girl, who I had so carefully avoided. She was saying something about how there was a new girl in my grade who looked like she was really nice. And then Edward had chimed in with something about how everyone was paying her lots of attention. I tried to act like I didn’t care, like I was completely uninterested. That’s when I noticed Alice sitting at the other end of the table, her expression blank. Edward pursed his lips and shifted in his seat. Bella leaned over and whispered something in Alice’s ear and she came out of her trance talking hurriedly to Bella in a hushed tone so low even I didn’t hear it. Edward glanced over my shoulder at the rest of the cafeteria, his eyes burned for a moment then he glanced away. Why was everyone acting so strange today? Edward reached across the table and took Bella’s hand. This happened so often it was a reflex more then a voluntary action for the happy couple. “The new girl is curious about us.” Edward said nonchalantly. “And?” I asked. “She thinks much the same way I think Bella would.” There was no emotion here, just simple fact. “And the males of the senior class seem to react much the same as the ones in Forks did when Bella first arrived that day in Forks.” All my muscles tighten, I tried to ignore it. Bella turned to look at us then. She stuck her tongue out at Edward playfully before turning back to Alice. Edward smirked. “Simple truth, love.” He grinned. “I don’t know about you, but I feel like she could have some sort of latent ability.” Nessie said softly. Jacob let out a laugh. “What on Earth are you talking about Hun?” he took her hand affectionately. Edward pulled his lips back slightly, and I knew he was probably thinking ‘Stupid Mutt’ or something along those lines. “I can feel it too.” Jasper added in. Nessie leaned around Jacob then, to get a better look at this new student. “Yup definitely a pull there.” “It must be pretty strong for us all to feel it.” I put no emotion into the statement. It was true I did feel a pull from this new girl, maybe that’s why I was so interested in her. “Well I hope this doesn’t turn into another ‘Bella’ situation.” Edward said with a laugh. The comment was obviously aimed at me, the only single one in the family, but I ignored it. “But at least we’d know how to deal with it, if it did.” He continued. I had a feeling Alice’s most recent vision had something to do with Edward’s comments, and that worried me, but Jasper would be the only one who knew. I knew that the rest of my new family was worried that I hadn’t found a mate yet. I just kept reminding them that Carlisle didn’t find his mate until he was like three

hundred years old. And besides, I liked being alone. Being alone was the way I dealt with what I was, that’s why I had spent so many years as a nomad, only settling down as part of Carlisle’s coven six years ago. And I wasn’t going to get involved with some human and ruin it all. Lunch was ending, so I stood dumped my tray of untouched food into the nearest garbage. “See you in English.” I called over my shoulder to Edward and Bella. Then I strode out of the cafeteria. The smell hit me like a tidal wave. No, more like a brick wall. An overpowering scent like honey and citrus but warmer, more inviting, more intoxicating, and far more tempting then any mere human should be allowed to smell. It was unbearable. I didn’t recognize the scent, so I knew immediately who it belonged to. The new girl, Vivian. How could the only girl who had caught my eye in and hundred and fifty years smell so torturously good? I hadn’t noticed the smell from across the crowded cafeteria. And now in the little classroom, in such close proximity the air vent was blowing her scent right into my face. I looked away from Ms. Middleton to see where she was only to find her perched on a chair at my table. I suddenly didn’t know if I could make it through class. “Mr. Cullen?” Ms. Middleton questioned. I looked away from Vivian and met the teacher’s eyes. “Have a seat please.” She stated firmly. I made my way to the table at a slow human pace, wondering how I could possibly cope with the most brilliant torture only God could come up for me. I sat as far from her as possible and held my breath. I didn’t dare look up for fear of making the temptation worse. I concentrated so hard on the table top that the fake wood grain began to swim before my eyes. I had to think of something other then the smell. I almost didn’t notice Ms. Middleton begin class. I hastily pulled my sketch book and pencils out of my bag. In the process I caught a glimpse of her, her long brown hair draped over one shoulder, her brown eyes filled with confusion. She looked away quickly. The movement sent another wave of honey and lemons towards me, so sweet I could have gagged. I could see the blood rush to her cheeks as she blushed, my throat burned with thirst. I looked away. An hour never passed so slowly. Though I pushed them to the back of my mind, plans to get her alone with me flitted through my head. Images of her frightened, trembling figure in my arms as I pressed my razor teeth to her delicate throat swam in my mind. I couldn’t think like that, I wouldn’t think like that. I wouldn’t ruin the self-control I had spent a century working on, and I most certainly wouldn’t ruin the life Carlisle had built for his coven, his family. So many witnesses, so easy to take care of. No! I pushed the thought from my mind. If I asked her to follow me she wouldn’t resist, I wouldn’t have to kill the others then! Again I pushed the thought out of my mind. You must resist, you mustn’t kill this girl. I told myself as I sat still, frozen like a statue, my throat blazing with the fire of my thirst. All the while my silent pleas grew louder and more persistent. Edward if you can hear me, HELP ME! I screamed silently.

Finally the bell rang and I leapt into action. I hoped Edward had heard my desperate thoughts, what good was having a brother who could read minds if he couldn’t hear me at a time like this. I made it to the door in seconds flat, only barely maintaining my human façade. Edward and Bella were waiting outside the classroom. Bella had a sympathetic look on her face; obviously Edward had filled her in. He tossed me the keys to his old silver Volvo that he refused to get rid of. “Go home Isaac,” He said hurriedly, “Wait for me there, we’ll take care of this.” I caught the keys and headed for the doors. Thank you! I thought, finally able to breathe again. When I reached the highway I floored it. Pushing the old engine as hard as I could I reached speeds that were probably unhealthy for the fifteen year old car. I reached the dirt drive way in minutes and didn’t slow down for the corner. The car fish tailed but regained control quickly. I sped through the forest towards the house. Esme was waiting on the porch when I pulled up. She must have heard me coming, the Volvo didn’t run as quietly as it did before, not that that would have mattered. I killed the engine and moved swiftly from the driver’s seat. “What’s wrong Isaac? Did something happen at school?” Ésme was ever the caring mother. “Esme I’m fine, nothing happened.” I needed space. “Are you sure you’re ok? You look stressed.” “Stressed is a good word for it.” “Is there anything I can do?” “Thank you Ésme, but I just need to be alone, you know collect my thoughts” “Alright.” “Just let me know when Edward gets home, alright?” “Sure.” I entered the large house and practically flew up the stairs to my room on the third floor. I let out a long sigh. Why was this happening to me? Why now? I had finally found somewhere I seemed belong, a family. In a hundred and fifty years I had never come across a mortal creature who made me, the most dangerous predator on the planet, feel threatened. It was unsettling; I was not used to feeling intimidated. When the others arrived home an hour later I was sprawled on the floor. Edward entered the room silently and folded himself onto the leather sofa. He stared pensively out the window that covered the entire back wall. “I don’t know what to say, Edward, except that I was so close to ruining everything today.” “I know.” We didn’t look at each other, but I knew that Edward could hear every doubt, worry and fear that was racing through my mind. “I’m not going to try and comfort you, Isaac.” Edward started, I didn’t respond. “I won’t tell you that it gets easier. Every moment I spent with Bella while she was human was a challenge, but what got me through it was the thought of how I would feel if something happened to her and it was my fault; the thought that I couldn’t continue to live without her.” “But I don’t even know this girl.” I snarled.

“I didn’t know Bella in the beginning either.” Edward sighed and leaned towards me. I turned my head to look at him. “The moment I first caught Bella’s scent, I almost killed her and the entire biology class we were in. It would have been so easy to do. But you already know how easy it is to think like that. “For me the immediate choice was clear. Run or kill her and ruin everything. Both of which have already crossed your mind. It’s good that you held out so far. I ran from her, my family and myself, until I was sure I could resist, but you have more self-control then I ever had. “Isaac you have to make a decision, and the sooner you make it, the better. Is this something you can resist?” “And if she is?” “Then you stay here, and continue on like nothing has changed. You could even befriend her, if you think you could handle it. But having human friends can be tricky, no matter what Nessie says.” “And what if I can’t resist?” “If you’re like me, you’d leave, even just for a little while. But I know you can resist, brother, I have faith in you.” I looked into his eyes, searched them. I didn’t have his ability to read minds, but I saw confidence and reassurance in his eyes. There was no trace of pity or disappointment there. This was a man who had struggled through my situation, and had overcome it, and had been happily married now for ten years. Though he was fifty years my junior, I knew I would never find someone with more strength then him. “You know leaving would break Ésme’s heart, but she would understand. And if you stay, you must be able to control yourself, for the sake of your family.” Will you help me? I thought to him. “Yes.” He held my gaze for a long moment. “Though only you can make this decision, I will help in any way I can.” Another long pause. “Well, Jasper wants to go hunting.” Edward said, standing up. “Do you want to come?” I grinned at him. “You always know just what I need.” He laughed and tapped the side of his head. “Give me two minutes and I’m there.” I said. Edward retreated from my room and I pulled myself from the floor. We hunted longer then usual. Edward probably sensed my need for a distraction. I also wasn’t in a rush to see the rest of the family. Where I knew Edward and Jasper wouldn’t be so judgmental, both having felt my current feeling of weakness, I wasn’t so sure about the rest of them. I knew they had all been informed, Jasper had felt my panic and blood lust and Alice had probably seen my wavering decisions. Carlisle and Bella might understand, but I knew Esme, Alice, Nessie, and Jacob would be disappointed in me. I was just glad that Rosalie, the most judgemental of my family, was off in Europe with Emmet. Jacob, of course, had no trouble what so ever around our human neighbours. He was practically human himself, minus the whole morphing into a giant wolf at will. He even still considered himself a protector of human life. Nessie also had it easier then the

rest of us; being half human she had an advantage. They tried to be sympathetic because they shared our diet, but they really didn’t understand what the rest of us went through. Alice and Esme would be disappointed because they had high expectations for me. When we got back to the house it was past midnight. Lights were on inside. They shone through the floor to ceiling windows that covered the entire back of the house. From the front the house looked like an old, Victorian, three story farm house, right out of Anne of Green Gables. It was done up with white washed, wooden siding and a lattice porch stretching across it. There were balconies off the second and third story windows and vines clung like spiders to its surface. Esme had replaced the classic look of the front of the house with a three story wall of glass on the back, so we could all fully appreciate the view into the forest. The inside of the house was open and light. The front door opened to a large spacious living room that took up almost the entire first story. To the right was the kitchen, which was only part of the façade. On the side of the room was a raised platform that stretched from the front of the house to the back, on it was a large swooping staircase, an exquisite, black grand piano and a large antique dining room table. The rest of the room was set up with a seating area and a large flat screen TV. The décor was all in various shades of white and light oak wood fixtures. Inside Bella was curled up on the white sofa in the living room Nessie and Jacob were sitting in front of her on the plush white carpet. They were having a discussion on something they had seen on the news earlier in the evening. Alice was dancing around the large room straightening and rearranging Esme’s already perfect flower arrangements; which she did so often. Esme stood in the kitchen doorway silently watching over her little family, Carlisle stood behind her with his arms around her and his chin resting in her hair. They all got very quiet when we entered. Edward went and sat beside his wife on the sofa. Jasper wandered across the room and took a seat on the stairs. Alice gravitated towards him and sat beside him, leaning heavily on his shoulder. Suddenly all eyes were on me. I glanced around the room, meeting each pair of eyes for a moment. They all had the same butterscotch tone as my own, except for Nessie and Jacob whose rich brown eyes weren’t diluted like the rest of us. All eight pairs of eyes were filled with expectancy. “I’m assuming you have all heard about this afternoon’s events.” I began. “I should have—” Alice started, but I held up my hand to stop her. “Alice, if you saw anything, which I doubt you did until it was too late, some warning would have been nice, and if you didn’t don’t blame yourself. Either way I’m not angry.” I assured her, and then continued. “I have had a long discussion with Edward this afternoon; I understand that you have all seen a similar situation before.” I looked up at Bella. I’m sure if it was still possible she would be blushing. “I also understand that I have some decisions to make, and I would appreciate your patience with me. I know you’d rather I didn’t leave and I am grateful for that, you are the first family I have had in many, many years, and I don’t want to leave either. I would, however like some time, and space to make the right decision.” “Take as much time as you need, son.” Carlisle was calm, understanding. I thought grateful thoughts at him and he nodded in response. I didn’t often use my strange

ability to put thoughts into others’ minds on my family; I felt it was an unnecessary intrusion. Esme looked slightly shocked, but exuberant at the same time. I knew she was expecting I’d leave, like Edward had, but she hated her family being separated. She was still upset that Rosalie and Emmett had decided to spend a few years living on their own in London. “You mean you aren’t leaving?” She asked, surprise colouring her voice. “Not yet.” I replied. “I think you should talk to her Isaac.” Nessie started excitedly. “Alice was already saying—” “Nessie shhh!” Alice complained. “It’s okay Alice. It won’t affect my decision. And Nessie, I don’t think it would be a good idea to push my luck at the present time.” I mussed her hair as I walked past her. She gave a harrumph and shook hair bronze curls back into place. Friendly banter started up in the living room. I ignored it and wandered aimlessly in the direction of my room to wait for morning. Chapter 3 Vivian A week had passed since I started my sentence in the rainy town of Salem. I sat with Brian and Aimee and their friends at lunch time and during what ever classes I had with them. Brian was still paying too much attention to me, and Andrew was starting to follow his bad example, though he was shyer. All this attention didn’t help my relationship with Tori, it also didn’t help that I tripped over one of her friends in gym class on Tuesday. It wasn’t like I tripped often or was clumsy, but basketball and I didn’t get along, especially when I had zero hand-eye coordination. But at least I had made it on to the cheer team at the try-out they held for me on Friday. Classes were easy enough and my teachers all seemed to like me, though it could be caused by the fact that I had been in all advanced classes back in Henderson. Mrs. Chapman, the art teacher, was already my favourite teacher, and it helped that art was my favourite subject, so we had a good relationship. I was still confused as to why Isaac Cullen had seemed so angry at me that first day, but I never got the chance to figure out why because he didn’t come back to school. I watched for him, half out of curiosity, half in fear of facing his harsh gaze, but everyday was the same; the six other Cullens sat at the same table in the cafeteria with out him. I looked for him in art class, but he never came. By Friday I had stopped watching for him. On Sunday I found myself sitting between Iris and Cassandra in the little church once again. I was surprised to find myself relaxing, and feeling comfortable with my new life. Though it didn’t stop me from chanting ‘Its only one semester’ to myself repeatedly before I went to sleep each night. Monday dawned like any other day. It was cloudy and looked like rain, or maybe snow, which was not uncommon for the third week of January. I no longer sighed or

grumbled as I got ready for school. I wasn’t exactly excited, but at least I wasn’t moping anymore. Iris pleased that I was settling in. I returned her smile when I came down stairs. “Good morning Vivian, you look lovely this morning.” Iris believed in starting everyone’s day with a compliment, she thought that feeling good about yourself was a good way to make the day go smoothly. “Good Morning Grandma. What do you have in the oven this morning?” Iris also believed in starting each day with a fresh batch of baking. “You better have cereal for breakfast today Vivian, these cookies are for your friends.” “Grandma you don’t have to bake for my friends.” I told her with a laugh. My friends would kill me if they heard me say that. I ate my cereal without complaint, even though I was really in the mood for the freshly baked goods. “Has mom come down yet?” I asked between bites. “Yes, she left for work already, you just missed her.” “Oh well that’s too bad.” Tanya and I rarely ran into each other in the mornings, even when it was just the two of us. Once she figured I was old enough to take care of myself, she started keeping her own schedule. It was like living with a roommate rather then a mother. Not to say that Tanya was ever a bad mother, she did great for being single mother on a nurse’s salary, she just didn’t fuss over the little things, like family breakfasts. “Don’t forget to bring this container of cookies with you to school dear.” Iris said as she finished cleaning up her baking mess. “I’ve got to call Mrs. Sutherland to see if she needs anything today.” “I won’t forget, have a good day.” I put my bowl in the sink and grabbed the cookies from the counter. I headed to the entryway to get my jacket and backpack and headed out into the cold morning. My morning was going exceedingly well. The cheer team was impressed at how fast I picked up the new dance we were working on, I aced the pop quiz in Spanish and Tori only glared at me twice. I was dreading yet another hour of basketball, but I was determined not to let that ruin my mood. It was a painful hour. I got hit in the shoulder twice and I bent my finger back trying to catch the ball. Brian ran to the office to get an ice pack for me, for which I was grateful. I spent the rest of the class nursing my now swollen finger. “Alright everybody listen up!” Coach McLeod yelled at the end of the hour. “On Wednesday we’re all going hiking up at Highland Park. So meet in the parking lot at 9:00 sharp and bring a lunch!” Suddenly my throbbing hand didn’t matter. I got to miss a day of basketball for a nature walk. This was great. Walking didn’t take any hand-eye coordination what-soever. Hiking I could do. Andrew picked up on my good mood as I walked into history and sat down beside me. He grinned at me. “You’re in a good mood today.” He said. “I most certainly am.” I replied, playing up the cheerfulness a little. “What happened to your hand?”

I frowned; of course he’d notice that. “Basketball.” I replied plainly. He nodded in understanding. Brian had filled him in on my sports skills. “But aside from my hand, and the weather, I’m having a really good day. I’m excited for the hiking trip on Wednesday.” “You like hiking?” I nodded. “Though I’m not used to nature being so wet.” Andrew laughed at that. “How about you? How are you today?” I asked, attempting to be polite. “I am doing pretty well myself.” “Oh?” He leaned towards me. “We are starting my favourite part of history class today.” It was my turn to laugh. “Andrew you are such a nerd!” The teacher, Mr. Green, entered the room just then. Andrew straightened up in his seat. I chuckled under my breath and he flashed me another grin. The projector whirred to life and Mr. Green flicked the lights off in the room. The title read ‘Settling Essex County 1626-1693’ “Over the next few days we will be discussing the local history starting with the settling of the county and going on to the witch trials. “Salem was founded at the mouth of the Naumkeag River in 1626 (it was originally called Naumkeag and was renamed Salem three years later) by a company of fishermen from Cape Ann led by Roger Conant, and incorporated in 1629. The name "Salem" is related to the Hebrew word "shalom" and Arabic word "salam", both meaning "peace". Conant was later supplanted by John Endecott, the governor assigned by the Massachusetts Bay Company. “In 1627 a patent was solicited from England and it was obtained by a group led by John Endicott who arrived in Naumkeag in 1628. Endicott and the other settlers of the New England Company now owned the rights to Naumkeag. Fortunately for the peaceful continuity of the settlement, Conant remained in Salem and, despite what must have been a disappointment for him, acceded to Endicott's authority as the new governor.”(From the Wikipedia page on Salem)

Mr. Green droned on in this manner for an hour. By the end of the class I thought I had carpel tunnel syndrome from typing so many notes. But at least he hadn’t gotten to the witch trials yet. The witch trials were never my favorite topic. Not since my uncles made me watch all those horror movies when I was little. I ended up in Tanya’s room every night for a month. After that I had nothing to do with witches, ghosts, zombies, demons or any other kinds of monsters. Of course I had read The Crucible in English last year. It wasn’t a scary story or anything, but on principle I hadn’t liked it very much. I really thought it was creepy for a town’s entire history to be based on witchcraft. I shuddered just thinking about it. Andrew, of course, thought it was hilarious that I

didn’t find the subject as fascinating as he did, in other words he thought I was an absolute coward. Chemistry passed in a blur and soon I was passing Iris’s container of cookies around my familiar table. “Vivian!” Julian yelled from across the table. “Tell Iris to send a double batch next time!” “I’m fairly sure that was a double batch Julian.” I laughed. “Oh, well I only got one.” He pouted “You would have gotten more if Brian hadn’t been hogging the bowl.” Luke jabbed Brian in the side. “Ow! I wasn’t hogging the bowl! Besides the girls had just as many as I did!” He retorted. Aimee, Samantha, Abby and Tori all burst out laughing. “I guess I’ll tell Iris that the cookies were good.” I said joining in the laughter. All of our sides were sore by the end of lunch. Everyone was talking and laughing. My latest gym class injury was brought up and laughed at, but I wasn’t upset by it. We were all still joking around on our way to art class. Andrew and Brian walked on either side of me, clearly competing for my attention, though I did prefer Andrew’s company over Brian’s. I caught a glimpse of a tall, looming figure in the crowd and saw that Jacob Black and Nessie Swan were also on their way to class, but I didn’t see the other five with them. Just then the small curly haired girl looked over her shoulder and held my gaze. She smiled warmly at me, flashing a set of perfect white teeth. She looked like a model. She lifted her hand as if to wave but Jacob glanced at me then and put his arm around her to stop her. These actions confused me. Why would Jacob care if his girlfriend waved at me? And why would Nessie be waving at me in the first place? When I entered the art room, I noticed my table was still empty. Was Isaac still absent? Or had just not arrived yet? I hadn’t noticed him at lunch time but I hadn’t noticed any of the Cullens, nor was I looking for them. I pulled out my sketch book and began to work, my mind drifting back to my first day of classes here in Salem and how angry Isaac had seemed. I heard a chair drag on the floor next to me and I jumped, startled by the noise that had broken into my thoughts. I knew then that Isaac had returned to school. I didn’t look at him, fearing that he would be as fierce looking as the last time I saw him. A throat cleared and I could see out of the corner of my eye that Isaac was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. I peeked up from under my lashes, and saw that he was watching me, his sketch book open on the table in front of him. He didn’t look mad today; maybe Edward hadn’t been lying about the stomach flu thing. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out, so I went back to my work. “Hello.” Came a low whimsical voice. I looked up, startled again. Isaac Cullen was once again sitting as far away from me as possible but he now had a small smile. “Hi.” It sounded like a question. “I must apologize for not introducing myself last week, I’m Isaac Cullen.” I nodded weakly, and I knew that the shock must be obvious on my face.

“And you are Vivian Bishop.” He stated plainly. “I know.” I said with a hint of sarcasm. He chuckled quietly. “So how do you like living in Salem?” I didn’t answer right away; surprised that he hadn’t mentioned the fact that I was Iris’s granddaughter. “You look surprised.” He commented, laughing again; it was a musical noise. “Aren’t you going to ask if I’m Iris’s Granddaughter?” “Why would I ask that?” “That’s what everyone asks when I first meet them.” “Who is Iris?” It was my turn to laugh. “You don’t know Iris?” He shook his head slowly. “Wow I thought she knew absolutely everybody in this town.” “You know, now that I think about it. I seem to recall Esme– my mother saying that a lady named Iris invited her to some fundraising event at church once.” I laughed again. “I told you everyone knows Iris.” “You never did answer my question.” “Which question?” He leaned towards me cautiously. “I asked how you liked living in Salem.” I sighed. “It’s cold,” I said with an air of disgust. “And wet.” I wrinkled my nose to emphasize my point. “You don’t want to be here.” He didn’t say it like a question, more like a matter of fact. “No, that’s not true, not exactly.” I couldn’t understand why I was telling him this. I should tell him I hate it here and can’t wait to leave, but something about him made me want to tell him the truth. I needed to tell someone, and I felt a sudden, unexplainable trust in him. He gave me a puzzled look. “I am not quite sure I understand. You don’t like it here,” I nodded so he continued. “But you do want to be here?” “I’m not a fan of the weather, and I really miss Henderson. But my grandma, Iris, needs us here, and I want to be here for her.” “I see.” He said softly. I hadn’t realized it, but while I had been talking I had leaned towards him, and we were now sitting quite close together. “You must really care about her.” He murmured, mostly to himself. I blushed and he quickly leaned away, a dark look flashing in his golden eyes. Golden eyes? I was confused again. Last week his eyes were black, I was sure of it. I could vividly remember his cold black gaze and now they were golden, butterscotch even. I couldn’t understand it. He was being so friendly today, but I could see now that the anger I had witnessed last week was still present. I frowned. He saw that I had noticed his reaction and relaxed slightly, the darkness leaving his face. I relaxed too.

“So, what about you?” I asked. “Hmm?” “Well, you haven’t lived here that long either. How do you like living here?” “To be honest with you, I like it here. It’s homey and quiet.” He said calmly. “I’ve lived in many places and most of them much more unpleasant then here.” “I find that hard to believe.” I said trying to be light hearted. He smiled a warm, inviting smile. The bell rang then, and he stood and quickly gathered his things. “I should be going.” He muttered and began to walk away from the table. “Isaac!” I called to him before he could get too far. He turned to look at me. “You’re in my next class.” I smiled weakly. “Well then, hurry up and I’ll walk with you.” I hastily grabbed my sketch book and shoved it into my bag. I slung it over my shoulder and hurried after him. I didn’t know why but I felt the sudden need to keep talking to Isaac, it was almost like a magnetic force pulling me towards him. Though I couldn’t tell exactly what it was, there was something intriguing about this pale faced boy. I ignored the whispers of my friends and concentrated on keeping up with Isaac’s long strides. He was very quiet, almost like he was ignoring me, but he glanced down at me every so often with curiosity touching his eyes. “So,” I began timidly. “Where did you move from?” “Forks, Washington.” He replied. “It’s very small.” I could see now that getting anything further out of him was going to be like pulling teeth. He honestly didn’t seem like he wanted to be answering my questions, but he was still trying to be polite. I kept trying. “And before Forks?” He raised an eyebrow at me in confusion. “You said you moved around a lot.” I prompted. “Before Forks, my family lived in Alaska, but I lived in Rochester. I didn’t start living with them until they moved to Forks.” “So you haven’t been with the Cullens very long?” He frowned at me and I was unsure as to why. It seemed like an innocent enough question. He pondered it for a few seconds. “It feels like a short time.” He sighed. We had reached the English classroom. “The Cullen’s have been more of a family to me then anyone before them, so the length of time I’ve been with them doesn’t matter to me.” Frustration or maybe irritation played across his pale face. He strode away from me into the classroom. Aimee and Brian came up behind me as I stood in the doorway of the classroom. “What’s with him?” Brian asked, as he watched Isaac walk swiftly away. I shrugged and walked into the room, glancing briefly to the back where Isaac sat with his brother and foster sister. I was consumed with an overwhelming feeling of confusion and frustration that I knew was caused by Isaac Cullen. Never in my life had I met someone so mysterious.

The rest of the afternoon passed at a crawl. I had already read the novel we were starting in English and still had all my notes saved on my computer. The lecture didn’t capture my attention like literature usually did, especially a classic like Silas Marner. I found myself glancing back towards the Cullens more and more often. Finally the bell rang signalling the end of the school day. I watched Bella Swan, and Isaac and Edward Cullen walk swiftly and gracefully out the door without a backward glance. When I got home after school I discovered that Tanya was not home yet and there was a note on the counter written in Iris’s elegant script. Vivian, I’ve gone over to Mrs. Newbold’s house. Dinner is in the fridge, could you put it in the oven around five? Oh and there is a box of Grandpa’s things in the hall upstairs, could you put on the shelf in the garage for me? Thanks dear. Grandma. I glanced at the clock; I had half an hour until I had to start supper. I slowly made my way up the stairs. I dumped my backpack on my bed then went to find the box Iris wanted me to move. I carried it down stairs and out to the garage. The shelves were already packed pretty full with the things that Tanya and I hadn’t unpacked from our move. Things that Iris had in her house already that we didn’t need doubles of. I struggled to lift the heavy box onto one of the overcrowded shelves and in the process knocked one of the other boxes down. It tipped onto its side and the lid flopped uselessly off of it. Sighing I settled the new box on the shelf and knelt to clean up to box that had fallen. I turned the box so it was right side up again and was about to fit the lid back on when one of the box’s contents caught my eye. Nestled among some loose papers was a small, black velvet jewellery box. I picked it up and opened it hesitantly. Inside laid two rings. One was a plain gold band and the other was gold, and the top of the band had two interlocking hearts with inset diamonds. My curiosity got the better of me. I started riffling through the rest of the box. I pulled out a stack of papers and smaller piece fluttered to the floor. I turned it over in my hand and saw that it was a wedding photo. I recognized and younger looking Tanya in a beautiful white gown. I saw Iris and my grandfather, Patrick, standing beside her. On my mother’s other side stood a young, charming looking gentleman. I did not recognize him. I studied the photo closely and then saw that the man standing next to Tanya had the same shade of brown hair as me and the same dull green eyes. This man would have to be my father. A man that I had never met, in fact this was the only picture of him I had ever seen. I glanced down at the rest of the papers in my hand. The top on looked like a marriage certificate. The names listed were Tanya V. Jenson and Jonathan A. Bishop. I vaguely recalled my uncle Benjamin mentioning that my father’s name was Jonathan. The next few sheets were divorce papers and under those were annulment records. It seems as though Tanya did everything she could to put this man out of her life, as well as hiding him from me. Of course I didn’t know the entire story, so I did have to wonder what this man could have done that my mother would never even mention him to me.

I had asked her once when I was much younger why I didn’t have a dad and all the other kids did, even if he wasn’t around. All Tanya had told me was that I didn’t need a father and that we were just fine on our own. My uncle told me later, when I was older, that Tanya went to high school in Salem, MA with my dad and then a few years later they met randomly in Las Vegas and started dating. They got married too soon and it ended badly. I replaced all the papers, except the photo which I tucked in my pocket, and place the lid back on the box. I stacked it precariously on top of the others and went back into the house. I quickly set my laptop up on the kitchen table. While it hummed to life I took the homemade casserole and stuck it in the oven to warm up. Going back to the computer I opened a search engine and quickly typed in “Jonathan A. Bishop” I figured after 17, almost 18 years if Tanya hadn’t said anything she wasn’t about to start talking, so I would try and find something about my father on my own. For a while I couldn’t find anything useful, but then I struck what could have been gold. A small business website that listed a Jon Bishop as the manager. I was surprised to find that the company was located right here in Salem. I dug a little deeper through the information on the site and found an address for the afore mentioned Jon Bishop on Robinson road, just outside Highland Park. I was slightly stunned if this man was my father, he was living right here in Salem, and I might never have known. Should I go see him? I knew the answer before I had even thought of the question. Of course I would go find him, after all this time I might have a father after all. Chapter 4 Isaac The wind rushed past my face, echoing in my ears. The greenery of the forest blurred in front of my unfocused eyes as I ran. I pushed myself to go faster, as fast as I could possibly go. If it wasn’t for the cool damp feel of the forest floor beneath my bare feet, I would have felt like I was flying. I let myself be completely free, letting the sensation of the woods that surrounded me take over, leaving all my troubles in the clearing behind me. I could see light filtering through the trees and I slowed my pace. I broke through the trees and came to a stop at the edge of the cliff. The Atlantic Ocean stretched out in front of me as far as the eye could see and I could see very far. I sucked in a large useless breath. The view overtook me every time. I only paused for a moment before turning and darting back into the woods. If I was planning keep going to school this week I would need to hunt again. It didn’t take me long to catch the scent of a pack of deer that weren’t to far off from where I was running. I adjusted my course and closed in on three small does and a larger buck. I went for the buck first. I had lunged at his throat before they even realized I was chasing them. The does scattered, and the buck struggled, tossing his head to loosen my grip. He didn’t fight for very long. My razor sharp teeth cut easily through fur, skin and muscle until the blood ran freely into my mouth. Draining him took very little time. I pushed the corpse away and straighten my clothes, wiping the dirt and moss off the knees of my jeans. I glanced around me. The forest was quiet; all the creatures went into hiding when our kind was around.

I didn’t bother searching out the does I had seen before. I wouldn’t need anymore today, especially if my increased hunting was to become a habit. I made it back to the clearing where our old Victorian farm house sat beneath the shade of the giant spruce trees. Light from the setting sun lay in strips across the yard where it filtered in through the trees. I wandered aimlessly towards the house, scattering rainbows onto the grass whenever I crossed a patch of light. The sun wouldn’t be out for very long, but here in the shelter of our home we were safe to be in the sunlight that we all desperately missed. I could hear music floating across the lawn from the house, either Edward or Nessie was playing piano, I couldn’t tell who. Edward had been the best musician in the family, followed by Rosalie, but Nessie was giving her dad a run for his money. Obviously talent ran in the family. Entering through the front door I could see Edward at the sleek back grand piano, his brow furrowed with concentration. The music flowed effortlessly but I could tell by the look on his face that he was composing again. Grabbing my sketchbook from the coffee table where I had left it, I sat down next to him on the piano bench and began sketching. “Hello Isaac.” Edward said without looking up from the piano. “Hello Edward.” “Out hunting again?” “Yes, I thought it would be a good idea.” I sighed, my mind wandering back to the events of this afternoon’s art class. The way Vivian had blushed when I caught her being more open then she wanted to let on. Venom welled up into my throat at the thought of the blood pooling under her fragile skin. “Isaac?” Edward abruptly stopped playing. “Sorry Edward, I shouldn’t be thinking like that.” “You know it’s harder when you do think like that.” He said turning back to the keys. “You don’t have to do this you know.” He said softly. I know. I thought to him and then sighed angrily. “I realize full well I don’t have to do this.” I began, and angrily slammed my sketchbook shut. “I don’t have to put myself through such horrible torture as resisting who I am. What I don’t understand is why I have to be going through this. I have not had human blood in almost a hundred and fifty years, and yes at first it was hard not to give in but I haven’t even been tempted in decades. “And now one girl, one insignificant human girl waltzes in and threatens to ruin everything, and now not just for me! I paced my room for five days trying to decide whether or not I had the strength not to kill her, nearly wore a rut into the carpet. And after all that you know what I came up with? The fact that I finally found a home and she has no right to drive me away!” I took a breath, regaining control of myself. Edward sat with his hands resting on the piano keys, motionlessly. He stared, not at me but past me. I turned, only to see Bella and Alice standing at the foot of the stairs watching me. The shock on their faces told me they had witnessed my tantrum. Bella’s face turned instantly from shock to sympathy.

I gave her an apologetic look, wanting to tell her that I was going to be alright but she shook her head and crossed the space between us. She put her hand on my shoulder, gently. “I feel horrible that you are going through this. I wish I could help in some way. Unfortunately my shield doesn’t block scent.” I offered her a small smile of reassurance. “You know I’d mention any danger Isaac, you were no where near trouble today. You can do this, we all believe in you.” Alice flitted towards us and stood behind Edward. “Thank you all, but neither your faith nor sympathy makes it easier.” “To be quite honest, you are doing much better then anyone ever expected. I’m sure it will become easier in time.” Edward said calmly, and then he gave a laugh and grabbed Bella from behind and pulled her into his lap. She burst into giggles. I smiled at the happy couple. Bella struggled in Edwards grasp and gave a low playful growl. When she finally broke free she said “Alice and I are going hunting we’ll be home later.” “Alright, Love, see you soon.” Edward replied. The girls slipped out the back door. I turned back to Edward who turned back to his piano. Music once again filled the room. “Edward,” I began hesitantly. “Do you remember last week when you said you’d help me?” “Yes, I remember that.” “Would you tell me what she was thinking today?” “You know I try to block people out, and besides it’s rude to invade people’s heads like that.” “Come on, Edward, I know you were listening to make sure I was behaving.” “Do you really think it would help to know what she was thinking?” “You wished you could hear Bella in the beginning too.” “That is true.” Edward sighed and turned away from the piano. “She isn’t afraid of you, which is odd, and she wonders why you hate her so much, but was so friendly today. She is curious and intrigued but she doesn’t suspect anything. She seems to be one of the few genuinely good people on the planet, and is very good at hiding it.” “What exactly did you mean by it’s odd that she isn’t afraid of me, aside from the fact that most humans shy away from us naturally?” “She frightens easily.” “She frightens easily?” I questioned. “I pulled that bit from Andrew Faulkner’s head, apparently any and all creepy or horror stories scare her, it’s one of the reasons she hates it here. Oh and Faulkner is starting to piss me off, there is something going on in that kid’s head that even I don’t understand.” “Wait, go back, she is frightened by the very idea of what we are and yet she isn’t even remotely scared?” “Well she doesn’t know anything which could be why she isn’t scared, but I can’t figure out why she doesn’t shy away like normal humans.”

“Perfect, the greatest risk to my self control won’t even try to avoid me.” I got up to leave. I needed to think about what to do with all this new information. “Oh and Isaac, so you know, she didn’t respond to you putting thoughts in her head.” “What?” It is very hard to truly shock a vampire, but Edward had achieved it. “You tried to make her think she didn’t like you, and that she should avoid you, and it didn’t even cross her mind.” “What do you mean? How could she not think it?” Shock melted into incomprehension and anger. “I’m not sure exactly, but I’ve mentioned it to Carlisle about it, we were both searching for ideas. I’ve suggested to him that we talk to Eleazar he may have more ideas. I wouldn’t worry too much; it’s probably just something like me not being able to hear Bella.” “Oh I think it’s quite different, Bella is a shield, for one thing. And for another you can hear Vivian.” I said angrily. “You know, its crazy, when I was human I couldn’t wait to leave home, to get away from my family. And now, when fate wants to drive me away, all I want to do is stay here.” It was raining when morning came; washing away what snow was still on the ground. It was the kind of day that we, as vampires, normally enjoy. The kind of day with no risk of sun to expose us and we weren’t bothered by the rain or the cold, our bodies just readjusted to the temperature; all weather felt the same to us. I watched a small puddle forming in the back yard from my window. The information Edward had given floated around in my mind. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it. All I knew was that Vivian knew nothing about what I am, but was curious, and she was possibly some kind of shield. I also knew that her blood smelt dangerously sweet and that I wanted to get too close to her and couldn’t. A warm hand brushed up against my cheek. Images of my family’s concerned faces fluttered in front of my eyes, followed by an image of me looking far more worn than I thought I was. I moved my hand from against the window pane and rested it against the hand that was touching my face. I know you are all worried Ness. I thought. But I’m fine, really. “You don’t look fine Isaac. We know you can handle this, but you just don’t look like you are coping very well.” Her high crystal voice was softened with concern. “Thank you, Nessie, for all your concern, I’m alright, just confused that’s all.” Nessie pulled her hand away from my face. “You better get changed before we have to leave for school,” she said. “Like I said you don’t look like you are coping very well. And Alice will never let you out of the house looking like that.” I reached over and messed up her hair. She growled and then giggled as she bounced away, out of my reach. “Isaac! Stop it!” she laughed, straightening out her now messy curls. Thanks, Ness. I thought with a smile. She flashed an angelic grin and turned towards the door. I pulled yesterday’s shirt over my head and tossed it smoothly into the laundry hamper. It really didn’t need washing, being a vampire meant that I didn’t sweat or shed

dead skin, I rarely even spilled anything on myself, but Alice was a stickler for how we presented ourselves in public and a rumpled, previously worn shirt was not going to cut it. I found a clean shirt in my inappropriately large closet and put it on while searching for clean pants. I ended up in a forest green button down shirt and dark jeans. I glanced briefly in the hallway mirror to make sure my dark, unruly hair would pass Alice’s scrutiny and headed down stairs. I watched as the second hand slowly finish another revolution around the face of the clock. Living in the absence of time did not make an hour long history class go by any faster. History was especially boring, seeing as how I had lived through most of it. I had grown up during the civil war. I can still remember the headlines calling for volunteer soldiers. I was eleven and devastated that my father, the local pastor, wouldn’t let me enlist. All I had ever wanted was to be a soldier. My uncle Thomas, my older brother Joseph, and several of my cousins all went off to war. I still had the letters my brother had written to me from the frontlines before he died. Finally the bell rang and I could escape to the next hour of torture that I had lined up. Unfortunately for someone with ten university degrees high school calculus doesn’t hold much in the way of challenges. It also doesn’t capture attention very well. Luckily by using my little mind tricks I had the teacher convinced that he didn’t need to call on me and I could be distracted all I wanted. I was beginning to agree with Edward. If God offered some kind of penance for what we were, it had to be the monotony of high school. Gym class was last before lunch, and undoubtedly the mostly challenging class of the day for a vampire. When you can run faster then a race car and have better reflexes then a wildcat, it gets a little tedious to have to blend in. It was basketball season, and we had to put extra effort in to make sure we didn’t sink every basket or catch every pass. Edward and Alice had to make sure they weren’t one play ahead of the rest of the players. Though we always had fight free games thanks to Jasper. Today Jasper, Edward and Bella were teamed up against Alice and me, and one of the human students, Luke Fischer. Of course we could all tell that he wasn’t too thrilled about being stuck on a team with the freaks and then have to play against more of the freaks. Hey Jasper, you want to calm Fischer down here, I think he’s freaking out here. I thought, giving him an exasperated look. Poor kid, surrounded by five vampires, I’ll make sure Coach Barnes doesn’t do this anymore. I smoothly passed the ball to Alice who danced across the court and tossed it lightly into the basket. Luke smiled weakly and caught the rebound. He sunk another basket before Edward stole the ball from him. With a minor amount of tension and a little help from Jasper and me, Luke survived the hour of basketball. But according to Edward he definitely didn’t want to be part of that situation again. I often wondered if it would be easier if the humans realized

that their systems were telling them they were scared of us, instead of just thinking that we are weird and they should avoid us. Lunch was next, one short hour until I was to be tested once more. My family headed towards the cafeteria. I was about to head for the parking lot to get some fresh air when Alice skipped to my side and grabbed my arm. “You should come to lunch with us Isaac.” She said “I don’t have a choice do I?” I said to her, a little exasperated. “Hmm,” She said jokingly, putting one hand on her temple like she had seen some amazing vision. “Nope!” “You hid in the parking lot all of lunch yesterday, its time to come back to civilization.” Bella agreed with Alice. “Easy for you to say, you’re not likely to turn into a monster at the slightest whiff of the new girl’s scent.” I grumbled under my breath and trudged towards the cafeteria. “Try and act normal Isaac, don’t look all depressed.” Alice said with a reassuring tone. “Do you honestly think any of us would let anything bad happen?” Edward questioned. “There are six of and one of you; we could probably stop you with out any of the humans noticing.” “They really don’t notice much Edward.” Jacob stated. “My point exactly.” We had reached the cafeteria. I took a deep breath, and smelt nothing out of the ordinary blur of human scents. I looked around to see if Vivian was even here. She was sitting at Brian Anderson’s table again. Andrew Faulkner, Aimee Schroder and a handful of other students crowded around as well. Her scent was recognizable as it mingled with the other scents in the room, but not overpowering in the crowd. We made our way to our usual table to pretend to be having a normal lunch hour. Well, except for Jacob who ate like a horse, while Nessie stole bits off his tray. They were the only two in the family who could and did eat regular food. I glanced over at Vivian, she was laughing at a joke Aimee had made. I examined her intently. She seemed like she was enjoying her self, but she looked like she couldn’t quite relax, like she was still slightly uncomfortable with her situation. She glanced in my direction and blushed, but I didn’t look away. I studied her face for the first time since she had come to Salem. She was pale, not as pale as me though. Her hair was brown, and ordinary, and very long. She wore it loose down her back. Her crimson red sweater brought vibrant highlights to her green eyes and went very well with her complexion. She held my gaze, but only for a moment. Brian called her attention back to the conversation at their table, something about an ultimate frisbee tournament when everyone went to Highland Park tomorrow. Humans shouldn’t be allowed to call any of their sports ultimate. If they saw the way vampires played sports then they’d know what ultimate was. The longer I studied Vivian, her looks, her movements, the sound of her voice, the more I found that she was as intriguing as I had thought the first time I had seen her. It wasn’t just the smell of her blood that was striking. She was a captivating person and I had to avoid her so I wouldn’t hurt her. I was starting to wonder how long I could keep my distance.

“Isaac!” Nessie hissed. “What?” I broke out of my reverie and looked at her. “You were staring at Vivian. She probably thinks you’re being creepy.” “She wasn’t thinking that actually.” Edward pitched in. “Well it’s still rude to stare.” “What’s got your attention over there anyway?” Bella asked. Both Edward and Jasper cleared their throats uncomfortably. I aimed a kick at Edward’s shin under the table. Bella raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “It’s nothing Bella.” I said plainly, hoping she wouldn’t press the matter. “Sure, it’s nothing.” She said sarcastically, but she didn’t press further. There was a long pause. I tried to focus on the wood grain on the table top. I could feel the eyes of my family on me and knew I was worrying them. But I didn’t know how I could help that, I was worried too. “Hey, she’s looking at you again!” Jasper whispered. I glanced up and saw that Vivian was indeed watching me. “Stop looking at her!” I hissed “You should go talk to her.” Nessie giggled. “No I shouldn’t.” “Come on Isaac, it wouldn’t kill you.” “Back off Ness!” I half growled. “I’m going to class.” I left them staring after me and strode towards the exit. I walked briskly down the hallway toward the art room. I’d probably be the first one there, but that would give me time to prepare my self for what I knew was coming. Settling into my seat I opened my sketchbook. I began sketching aimlessly. Two eyes emerged from the pencil lines, followed by a nose and cheekbones. Soon a face appeared on the page, an exact replica of the face that had been haunting me. I sighed angrily and slammed my book shut on the sketch of Vivian’s face. Damn my photographic memory. I thought. Students began filtering into the classroom. I frowned at them, but that was normal. Vivian arrived, with her friends and all my muscles automatically tensed. She shyly glanced in my direction. She looked so fragile, peeking out from under thick lashes, her arms full of books and laptop case slung over one shoulder. She looked away from me, looking back at her friends. Andrew smiled at her, I stiffened, but the venom didn’t flow into my mouth. This was a feeling I didn’t know, it wasn’t instinctual, it wasn’t a predator reaction, it was a protective one. Was I jealous? I shook my head, I couldn’t be. That would be insane. Ms. Chapman came in the room and Vivian made her way over to the table. She smiled timidly. I nodded politely in response. There was a bit of a commotion while Ms. Chapman collected the assignment that was due today and passed out a new one. I took the time to observe Andrew. He was very engaged in a conversation with the blond sitting next to him, Tori, I think her name was. I remembered her not so subtle advances when we first moved here. Occasionally he would glance over at Vivian, but mostly he was focused on Tori. He glanced at me, I held his glaze. His expression was that of curiosity, suddenly it changed to anger and he turned away.

I thought it was odd. No one had shown any outward anger towards us, annoyance maybe, and skittish yes, but not anger. Edward had mentioned that something weird was going on with Andrew that he didn’t understand. I had better be on my guard around him, just in case. I started working on the new assignment, we had to draw some kind of transition. I glanced at Vivian occasionally; she looked like she was in deep concentration. I cautiously took a breath to test myself. Her scent was strong; if I hadn’t been focused on self-control it probably would have knocked me flat on my ass. I decided to take a chance and talk to her. “Hello Vivian.” I began quietly. She looked up from her work, startled, and then smiled shyly. “Hi.” “How are you?” “I’m fine, and you?” “I am fine as well.” I smiled, this was going well. “You know, I like your eyes better this colour.” Vivian blurted, and then blushed. She looked away timidly. I didn’t respond. How could she not have noticed my eyes? I had hunted so often since the first time she saw me that my eyes were the lightest they had been in all my 150 years. “It’s a genetic thing, very rare.” I faked. “So what are you drawing?” “My life.” “That’s an abstract concept. Care to elaborate?” “The assignment is about transition, and that’s where my life is at right now.” “Between Henderson and Salem?” “That’s part of it.” “Only part of it? How else is your life in a transition?” “You’re awfully curious today.” She laughed. “I find you very interesting.” I said, letting a hint of seduction seep into my voice. “I’m really not that interesting.” She said quietly “I think you’re wrong. You have no idea how interesting you are.” Vivian blushed deeply and turned away from me. I could see the rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed deeply. “What about you? What are you drawing?” She asked, glancing back in my direction before beginning to draw again. “Edward actually gave me the idea for this one.” “Care to elaborate?” She laughed. “My brother is a musician, he plays piano, and quite well too. So I’m trying to illustrate a musical transition.” “I didn’t know Edward played piano.” “Not many people do.” I chuckled. “Nessie and Rosalie both play as well.” “Do you play anything?” “No, I don’t play any instruments. I enjoy the visual arts much more.” “So you’re the family artist I take it?” “Both Esme and I enjoy art. But we all have our different interests.” “And those are?” She pressed.

“Now who’s being curious?” I laughed, and then continued to answer her question. “Carlisle has his medicine, it’s his passion. Emmet and Jacob both enjoy sports. Bella and Jasper are the family intellectuals. Bella’s passion is literature, and Jasper enjoys philosophy and psychology. And then there’s Alice, she has her heart set on being a fashion designer.” “Wow, it sounds like you’re all very talented.” “It’s not that impressive really.” Luckily the bell rang just then and she didn’t get a chance to argue with me. I stood and gathered my things and then turned to her. “Are you coming to English?” She gathered her things quickly. Throwing her bag over one shoulder she followed me out of the classroom. “So why are you and your parents the only one’s that come to church?” “Because we’re all adopted, and some of us didn’t come from a religious background Carlisle doesn’t force anyone to come to church if they don’t want to. Carlisle is actually Anglican, but he comes to church with me, so I don’t have to come alone.” “You’re the only Catholic in the family?” “Yes, though originally I was Protestant. I like the Catholic teachings better.” “Oh.” “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you and your mother move to Salem?” “My mom grew up here. But she moved to Nevada after she finished high school. My father was from here as well, they ran into each other in Vegas. But he left before I was born. And now Iris needed someone to come up and live with her, so here we are.” We had reached the English classroom. Vivian stared at the floor timidly. “We should probably get to class.” I said. “Ya, you’re right.” I walked past her into the room. Edward and Bella were already seated at the back of the room. Bella had her nose buried in a thick antique looking volume. Edward sat on his desk looking at his cell phone. “Rosalie and Emmet are in town for a visit. They just got in.” Edward told me, showing me the text from Carlisle. Mrs. Middleton started the class then and I settled into my seat. I watched Vivian and how she interacted with her friends. She would lean away from Brian when he got too close, but she always had a warm smile for Andrew and always looked to Aimee for support. I got into the back seat of Edward’s Volvo. Alice got in on the other side with Bella and Edward in the front. Jasper must be driving Alice’s Porsche home with Jacob and Nessie. Edward turned the key in the ignition and the old car hummed loudly to life. Alice wrinkled her nose. “Ugh Edward you need a new car. This one sounds so ugly.” “I like this car Alice.” Edward stated. “Well you should take Bella’s Ferrari to school; this one makes us look bad.” “You have your Porsche Alice, stop criticising my car.” “I’m only thinking of our family image.” “Sure Alice. So Isaac I hear art class went well.” I chuckled. “Trying to take the heat off yourself there Edward?”

“No, I’m just curious as to how that jealousy thing is going for you.” “You are such a jerk Edward.” I laughed. We were home and I saw Rosalie’s fancy imported car in the driveway. Next to it was a brand new silver Volvo, the most current model. “Hey Edward looks like Alice is going to get her way after all.” I said as I got out of the car. “How much do you want to bet that’s for you?” “Rose!” Alice called “It’s perfect! It’s the exact one I wanted to get for him, thanks for picking it up for me.” “Alice you can buy all the new cars you want, you can’t make me give up my car.” “Ah but I can.” Rosalie grinned, leaning against the hood of the old Volvo. “You wouldn’t.” Edward growled. “Edward,” Bella sighed. “It’s a nice new car, just be polite and except the gift your sisters bought you.” I laughed again and headed inside; glad I wouldn’t have to explain myself just yet.