Horrors of Port Angeles

POP-ROCK PLAYED IN THE SPEAKERS OVERHEAD, just loud enough to be heard, but not make out what the artist was singing. I could tell it was Paramore, but not which song. The dress I picked from the dozens of other dresses was sleek olive green, and tight around my breasts. Thankfully, it'd been padded, so it wasn't uncomfortable to wear. The top part of the dress was like a second skin until my waist, and then the skirt loosely hung shapelessly.

I posed a little in the mirror inside the dressing room. The green made my skin look soft and glow-y. I redid my pose and grimaced. How much could a girl take? I wasn't about to kid anyone with this getup. I looked weird in this green dress. Hearing my name from the waiting area, I swallowed my cowardice and exited the dressing room.

"Green is pretty on you," Anais immediately complimented as she saw me. "But I'm not sure about the material."

"You think?" I pinched the silky skirt, pursing my lips, and looked toward the full-body mirror outside the dressing room I'd changed. Green did look nice on me, but the style of the dress didn't seem to compliment me or my body.

"Here, I found this tan and black dress," she turned and snagged a spaghetti-strapped grudge-looking dress from the rack of dresses. "Looks very Kate Winslet, right?"

I shrugged and took the hanger. It was pretty, with a sequin bodice of twirly and swirly black vines that continued onto the ends of the skirt. My lips pursed again, appreciating the beauty of the dress.

"Hey, what do you guys think about this one?" Jessica stormed from her dressing room in a floor-length strapless dress that really did look good on her. She looked beautiful.

Angela exited her own dressing room, adorned in a pretty pale lavender dress with cross straps on the back. It draped wonderfully on her tall frame. The color and the design of the dress made her look positively lovely.

"I like it," Bella had said from her place on the window seat. "Looks good on you."

Jessica made an expression. "Yeah, but you said that about the last dress too."

"No, no," I interrupted, "This one suits you. Add a silver necklace or bracelet, and it makes you pop."

"Really?" She looked at me skeptically and then down at her dress, turning to look at the mirror. "It 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 make my boobs look good."

"Faye, do this one instead," Anais' voice seeped into my left ear and the dress in my hand was snatched, replaced with a new one. "This one for sure."

"Huh?" I looked at my friend, eyes immediately caught by the mesmerizing deep blue spaghetti-strapped gown on the silken hanger.

"Oh, that one's so pretty!" Angela gaped at the dress. "It'll look so good on you!"

Alice's words echoed in the pits of my mind. Blue. Blue was the color she told me about, wasn't it? Not taking my eyes off the dress, I revert into the dressing room to change. The blue dress is hung onto one of the little hooks and I carefully strip off the green dress and put it back on its respective hanger.

The blue dress was slimming, and its material was soft with an outer layer of tulle. What was it with dresses and tulle material? I take the dress off its hook and hanger, ready to unzip and try it on.

I was pale before I tried the dress on, and I was paler afterward. I felt like precious ivory, decorated in ultramarine satin-silk. I adjusted the thin straps onto my shoulders and flattened the front part of the skirt at my waist. It was comfortable to wear, needless to say. I loved the dress, and the black heels I picked out earlier would go beautifully with the color. Or maybe I should trade in for silver?

"Faye, I'm coming in!" Anais entered, revealing this hot pink dress on her body, black tulle as the second layer, wrapping around the bust, stylishly clumped carefully, and then flowing downward. She fixed a pair of black tulle lace-felt fingerless gloves onto her wrists.

"Wow, you look awesome!" My jaw dropped. I hadn't imagined pink would look so good on her, I mean, I had. Any color she wore, she pulled off. Pink wasn't her color, or so she always claimed, but it really made her petite frame look feminine. Even her eyes popped thanks to the neon.

"Thanks, you too," her lips perked upward. "Alice was right, blue looks good on you."

"Thank you." I blushed and went back to my reflection. She was prettier than before, confident, and almost glowing.

"I think this is the dress that's calling my name," Anais gave a twirl in her dress, allowing the skirt to flow outward. "It's definitely me. I love it."

"Then you should enjoy yourself in it," I agreed. "This one feels nice to wear. I feel really good."

"I'll buy it for you."

I looked at her. "No, I've got my money with me. My shoes, the dress, that necklace. I'll pay for it."

"Don't even try to argue with me," Anais replied stubbornly. "I've got the bill."

"Okay..." She exited the room to leave me to get dressed in my normal clothes. I gave one last glance at myself in the mirror and smiled. I felt beautiful, more than I usually do. The blue made my eyes pop, even more than they usually do.

Would Zain think I'm beautiful?

My eyes dropped to the floor, and I made the decision to walk out of the dressing room to show the girls. "What do you think about this one?"

"I knew it'd look beautiful on you!" Angela grinned, clapping her palms together.

Jessica, already with another dress on, nodded in agreement. "I think you should get that one."

"Bella," I turned to my sister, ready for another opinion, but she was packing up and stood. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Leaving?" She met my eyes.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," she retorted just a firmly. "I want to check out some bookstores."

"Well, will you at least let me change and pay for this? Dad wants us to stick together."

She rolled her eyes and looked like she wanted to argue with me, but instead, she plopped her happy little bottom back on the window seat.

That's how it's done, I nodded smugly to no one in particular and hurried back into the dressing room to change back into my shirt and shorts. By the time I got out, I had my desired gown draped delicately over my arm. Much to my surprise, Bella had listened to me and was on the window seat still.

"Finally," she murmured and got up. "Are you ready now?"

"Chillax, would you?" Anais emerged from her own dressing room, her chosen dress also on her arm. "Let us pay for this and then we can ditch, yeah?"

"So, you guys will meet us at the restaurant?" Angela spoke while we got ready to take our stuff to the register.

"Totally," Bella replied. "Where was it again?"

"The Italian place on the boardwalk."

"Uh..." My sister looked very lost just then.

Anais snorted. "It's okay, Bella, we know how to get there."

It didn't take long to pay for the dresses, but it did a few minutes for the cashier to put them in protective bags. We were on our way, as impatient as Bella seemed about the bookstore she mentioned. She barely allowed us to put our dresses in the back of Anais' car.

"So, what kind of books are you looking for, exactly?"

"Uh...just about the Quileute legends." She answered meekly, ducking her head a little.

She was searching for answers, I realized. Seems like the stories got to her as much as they got to Anais and me. I wished that I had seen had Bella had seen during the accident. The most I was allowed to know, and I quote, "to keep me from stressing any more than I had been," end quote, by my father and a few adults. According to Bella, Tyler's van was damaged, and well, half of the student body said that, including my own best friend. The bruise on my back - I mean, the healing bruise on my back tingled as I thought about it. It all seemed too strange to ignore. I wondered how long Bella had been searching for what would bring answers.

"You think the Cullens are vampires?"

Bella paused, almost tripping over herself. "You're going to think I'm crazy if I tell you."

"We're not," Anais spoke before I could. "We kind of think the same thing."

"You do?" She was mildly shocked.

"Things don't add up," I answer this time. "It's time we figure them out."

"Glad we can agree on something." Bella turned to us. "The legends got to me, and I was thinking about it the whole time. I haven't been able to get it off my mind since the accident and Edward's been talking to me, trying to throw me off his trail."

"Edward?" Anais and I share identical expressions.

"Yeah. He tried scaring me too. As if that'd work."

"We get our stubbornness from Dad." I chuckled. "C'mon, let's go find those bookstores before they close."

We meandered through the streets, leading Bella to some of the local bookstores, steering her away from the ones that looked like bookstores but weren't. There were a few bookstores in the area, some already closed, and some had nothing Bella was looking for. It was unwise to wander too much, but we figured there maybe was a bookstore that we hadn't discovered yet.

The sky had darkened some, clouds clustering in the orange and purple-hued atmosphere. The temperature dropped a few degrees too and regretted wearing shorts and a tee to the port. It was foolish of me to not think about how cold it got at night. The past few days had been nothing but warm, steady temperatures.

"Bella, we're not going the right way." I heard Ana mention.

"Said the girl who has no idea where to go to get out of this place and back to Jessica and Angela for dinner." Bella said sharply.

"Easy," I cut my friend off before she could say something even sharper. "We don't come to Port Angeles often, Bella."

"Great," Bella murmured sourly before taking off in a completely different direction.

"Bella!" We called and hurried after her before she disappeared.

What the heck did she see to make her want to run? Did she see Edward? Or maybe Mike or Tyler?

Soon enough, we found ourselves in a vacant area. Empty alleyways, stores, you name it. An eerie feeling to the air, and I wanted to high tail it back in the direction we came. We followed Bella across another street and a blinking traffic light. Not many cars around, or people. We wandered around a block, looping about without having any idea where we were or where we were going.

I never saw this side of Port Angeles, so I was just as lost as my sister and friend.

Just as we were a few steps away from turning a corner, about four men turned onto our sidewalk. They were young, casually dressed, joking, and laughing obnoxiously. Even punching each other in the arms.

My arms circled my midsection and I scooted to the edge of the sidewalk, Bella, and Anais following my stead. I wasn't keen on being hit on or harassed by a couple of drunk dudes while lost in Port Angeles.

A whistle split the air as the men passed, one twisting around to check us out. "Hello, Kitty!"

I grimaced visibly. They had slowed, and it was the heavy-set one who had spoken. Please don't, I internally begged to whatever God that was out there. If an older man catcalled at me, I usually pulled the "I'm thirteen," or "my dad's a police officer." That usually got them off me. But there are a lot of people who thrive on hurting police officers' families, so I kept my mouth shut. We continued further, away from the men.

"Hey wait!" One of them called, but we ignored them. Maybe they'd leave us alone and find someone else to bother, hopefully, a law enforcer on duty.

I had left my mace in my jacket, and I left my jacket in Anais' car. Incoherent fluttered in my mind. Of course, I'd leave the most important self-defense item in the car.

Classic me.

We turned the corner, hurrying a direction random to us. I hadn't a clue where to go, and Anais didn't seem too either. We were aimlessly wandering. I didn't even have my phone on me, which irritated me to no extent. The one time I've been using it more is the time I don't bring it with me. The universe must be keeping tallies on me for my forgetful self because it sure felt like it.

I was laughed at by the creators of the earth and human nature; mocked by the gods, if there were more than one.

Hopefully, these guys were harmless and were slow on their feet. Maybe we'd lost them, and they ended up turning a different corner.

Shivers painfully rippled across my limbs, and I was suddenly aware of the temperature drop once again. The sky had darkened, well, become darker. It appeared more night than day now, the streetlights the only lights keeping us a path in the night. A nagging suspicion told me to subtly glance behind us, and to my shock, I see two of the guys about twenty or so feet behind us. I don't know how I didn't notice their feet scraping against the pavement. The other two were nowhere to be seen. That nagging feeling in my stomach grew larger.

"Faye?" Anais whispered from my side.

"It's okay," I whispered back and took her hand. "You still have your mace?"

She nodded and dug into her jacket pocket and brought out the small canister, adjusting the safety clip off, ready to spray.

Aside from Anais' dad's credit card, I didn't have a lot of money on my person, and Bella, I wasn't sure if she had any on her. A part of me wanted to believe these guys were drunken muggers and the other part...I feared they had more in mind than just classic thievery.

The panic seemed to outweigh the common sense. Nothing but bad intentions nagged at me, I couldn't shake the bad feeling that seemed to bloom into terrified prickling. I could hear them behind us, but they sounded a bit further away now. Maybe it was just my imagination, and they just happened to forget their way, so they followed us in hopes that we'd lead them back into civilization.

We followed after Bella, seeing a few cars pass by around another corner. A flutter of relief exploded in my chest. We'd be back in a crowd soon enough, hopefully. We matched Bella's pace, practically skipping around the next corner, only to find a wider area, lined with windowless and doorless walls. We were too far from the main street, too far, much to my dismay. I groaned internally and went to turn around.

I froze.

The men from earlier, the two I had hoped were just as lost as we were, came sauntering in the way we came. Their footsteps seemed like mini tremors in the ground. My heart did serious thumps and pounds in its place, the valves excruciatingly flaring, working my blood flow to feel like acid and electricity.

They weren't following us, I realized too late. They were herding us.

"Hey, there!" A straggly voice boomed from somewhere behind us. Against one of the warehouse walls, two more men seemed to hide from my line of vision. We were nothing but lambs to them now, or was it just me comparing us to helpless animals before they were slaughtered?

If I weren't sure before, I was sure as hell now. This wasn't going to be a mugging, but rather something much darker and gruesome.

"Don't come near us." My voice was shaky but somewhat still dignified and strong.

"Don't be like that sugar." The men laughed at my feeble strength. I saw his face now in the shallow and dim light of the automatic lamp hooked to the walls. He was older than us, though his face looked young, and his voice had years of tobacco abuse. Grunge and ragged.

"I'm warning you." Not heeding my threat, they seemed to enclose us. Anais stuck to my side; her fingers shook with fear. I bit my inner lip. For a brief moment, I saw silver poking from Bella's fist. Her truck keys. She was ready for a fight, I understood. As subtly as I could, I slipped my hand back toward my friend, feeling for her mace. She must've realized what I was trying to do and slipped it into my palm.

"I said," I grunted, thrusting the canister in front of me. "Stay back!" I sprayed the closest man right in the face. He let out a surprised yell, stumbling back and palming his eyes.

"Bitch!" The grunge man growled, swiping at me with his hand.

I cried out as stings exploded in the left side of my face and gravity took hold of my body. My hip met the cooling pavement.

That was just the beginning of many things happening in a mere second. Still, on the ground, the sounds of tires kissing pavement and bright headlights flood my senses. Our potential assaulters, minus the one I sprayed in the face, fumbled to get out of the way of the familiar shiny Volvo. I heard car doors open and words being said, though I wasn't able to comprehend them through the shock of my tingling face.

"Are you alright, Faye, Anais?" A cold hand helped me to my feet and my eyes flung to a pair of dark gold eyes.

"Zain." Relief flooded through me.

"Get in the car." He quickly ushered me, my friend, and my sister into the Volvo. We three hurriedly slid into the back seat, and the door shut behind us.

The car spun back, tires squealing as it the driver maneuvered its body around. I was squished in the middle of Bella and Anais, my hip feeling like it was on fire. Anais was almost in tears, shaking against me, clinging to my body as she tried to not hyperventilate.

"Are you three alright?" Zain's voice was strained as he barely peered back at us.

"Define okay." I barely was able to speak without my voice cracking.

"Uninjured," he replied softly. "Are you uninjured?"

"No deathly wounds."

He said nothing more, looking toward Edward, who drove with a furious and pinched expression. He looked ready for homicide.

"You should put your seatbelts on," Zain spoke again, glancing over his shoulder. "Please."

"You should too." Bella managed to say.

The two males seemed to snort and chuckle at that. It confused me, shouldn't they also worry about their own safety?

"Faye, you're bleeding." Anais' small voice caught my attention. That was when I felt the drip of warmth escaping my nostril. My hand flew to my nose.

"Shit." I cursed. That guy must've hit me harder than I thought.

"Here," a handkerchief was handed back to me by Zain before I could register it. He didn't look at me, though I didn't need to look at him to know what he was probably feeling. "We should take you back to your friends."

"That'd be wise." I held the cloth to my face. I didn't know how I was going to explain this one to Dad. I should tell him the truth, after all. I still can't fathom that hit. Why on God's green earth would he hit me? Stupid bastard. I hoped his drunk ass slipped into the river, stumbled into traffic, and got himself paralyzed, or something worth bodily harm.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Anais murmured from beside me.

"I'm fine," I flicked my free hand to dismiss her worry. "Just a little painful, but nothing more than that."

"Can't believe that douche actually hit you," she scoffed under her breath. "The audacity on his balls!"

I snorted. "If he had any balls on him."

Anais let out a shaky chuckle. "He was probably tiny anyway."

Leave it to us to joke about something traumatic. My friend sunk into my side, her trembling frame easing against me. What little warmth she had mixed with what little I had. My sister and the Cullens exchanged words upfront, though my brain didn't process the words given. At least not until the Volvo passed slow-moving cars and swerved into an empty parking space.

It took me a second to realize that were on the boardwalk; in front of the restaurant where we were supposed to meet Angela and Jessica at. I'd been dazed about the events prior that I hadn't paid attention to where the Cullens were taking us. The place was aglow with golden fairy lights, creating what seemed like a safe haven or holy grail; I could see a short number of people inside, being served or being seated. There weren't many people, which helped ease me a little. Being in a crowd after our almost assault terrified me even if it made me feel ridiculous, but I would rather not be clustered when I'm trying to gather my thoughts and emotions.

"We should get you cleaned up." Anais murmured to me as she opened the door; cool air washed over me, and I'm overcome with goosebumps.

"Yeah." I agreed. If I didn't feel the pain of that backhand before, I sure as hell did now. Holy cow did that man know how to hit! I flexed my jaw, and prickles of hot voltage tingled through my skin. Still sensitive, I guess.

Once I'm out and on my feet, I made eye contact with Zain through the passenger door window. He had this stoic expression; I wondered what he was thinking about; imagination left to me assume he was beyond consoling at the moment. Suddenly, I recalled him after the accident with Tyler's van. He did his utmost best to appear collected even though it was obvious he was upset. I switched my left hand with my right, securing my bloody nose with the handkerchief, and with one more glance toward Zain, Anais led me to the restaurant's path.

She did her best to hold herself together as we ascended the short steps of the building; her body still trembled against mine. Either for my benefit or the others, she kept her emotions in check the best she could. We entered through the doors, and I heard Bella call out for someone, but we didn't stop to see who.

Once we were in the ladies' room, Anais broke. In all my time knowing her, I'd never seen her so shaken, but being attacked wasn't something a girl could easily get over so quickly. My friend hurried forward, claiming the middle of three private stalls. The door swung shut and the lock rattled while Anais clumsily turned it; she suppressed her hitched breathing, but it filled the empty bathroom anyway.

"Ana?" I held the handkerchief to my nose and approached the stall.

She didn't answer and I received stifled sobs.

"Ana?" I repeated and rapped my knuckles on the door softly. I wouldn't ask if she were okay or not, it was obvious she was, in fact, not okay. Our almost assault shook us both, more than shook us. Though my heart pounded still, my mind was trying to pick out the details and comprehend what would've been a horrific Wednesday night.

"I..." she croaked from within the stall. "Just...gimme a minute."

"Okay." I left her to collect herself and went for the sinks, choosing the one furthest from the door. Any woman who walked in would see me washing blood off my face while hearing crying from a stall. Either a catfight or whatever they wished to fantasize about in their minds. Not that I was worried about being seen this way, but I didn't want the police to be called on Edward or Zain. I don't believe anyone would call law enforcement on those two, but even beautiful people can be evil.

My reflection was miserable. Just like how I felt. I take the cloth away from my face; the blood stopped. Placing the material on the sink's edge to turn the faucet on, i twisted the knobs to get the water running. At first, cold water spewed out, then after twisting the knobs some more, lukewarm water came out. I bent forward to splash my face with the water, hoping it would trigger my brain back into a clear conscience. I needed to focus, not be dazed.

It helped some, but seeing the blood swirl around the drain sent me back into a stupor. I glanced up at my reflection again; my skin tingled, like tiny white-hot needles poking me. I hadn't thought much of it during the whole ordeal, but now that I was beginning to think clearly, I saw the redness forming in the faint shape of a hand. How hard was I hit for a handprint to try and form?

Again, I'm sent into a swirl of emotions; what seemed like heaviness weighed onto my shoulders, and dread filled me like a faulty leak. My shock was gone, and I started to feel it. Like liquid nitrogen, my veins seemed like ice, and the air I breathed in so shallowly. The reality of what those men would've done to us if the Cullens hadn't shown caused tears to welt in my eyes; my heart raced, the valves pumping near excruciatingly hard.

I splash more water onto my face. No, I urged myself. Not here. Not now. I wanted nothing more than get my mind onto another, more bountiful and exciting thought than the cursed and explicit imagination those disgusting and hell-worthy men had fantasized about.

I splash another palmful of water onto my face, massaging my nostrils to clean the blood off. No trauma tonight. No trauma tonight. We're safe, we're away from those guys. Anais, Bella, and me. We're safe and protected. We were okay and safer than being at home, armed to the teeth.

What was Bella making of all this? I hope she's alright.

"How's your face?" Anais' voice cracked from behind me. She exited the stall I was too engrossed in my own thoughts to hear her unlock and open. Her face was puffy and rubbed pink. Her eyes are glassy and streaked with black.

I returned to the water circling the drain and shrugged. "It's had better days. At least it's not acne."

"Ugh." She groaned in dismay, approached the sink in the middle, and twisted the faucet on. "I really need to get me that waterproof mascara."

I turned off my faucet and grabbed a few pieces of paper towel from the dispenser and handed her half. She snatched them from my hand and got to work on her face, doing her best to clean off the ebony tears. I dried my own face and trashed the used paper towel.

"I'm sorry."

I looked at her oddly. "Why are you apologizing? What happened was terrifying. I still feel like I'm about to have a heart attack."

She wiped her face again, agreeing quietly.

Zain was waiting outside the bathroom when we finished up. He was leaning against the wall, jaw flexing as he clenched it, appearing quite vexed. Any emotion and thoughts he had on his mind seemed to vanish when he heard us come out. He pushed off the wall and his thick brows furrowed together while his golden orbs flickered from Anais to me. If he had spoken, I was sure I would've heard gibberish. There were too many words, too many sentences racing in his eyes. Paragraphs. A monologue, even.

"I am sorry for waiting outside the ladies' room." He apologized with a meek look which turned into concern. "I was worried."

"We're okay." My response wasn't convincing him. "Really, Zain. We're shaken. Scared as hell, but moreover, we're unscathed."

He looked like he wanted to argue against my word, but he exhaled and allowed himself the defeat. For the moment, anyway. Lifting his arm, he motioned for us to enter the dining area.

"Your sister and Edward are already seated," he said. "We asked for a private table. The lot of us have to talk about tonight."

"There's no need for talking," Anais huffed with a grunt. "When my dad hears about this, he's gonna rev me for every detail anyway." I elbowed her in the side.

Zain ducked his head down. "Yeah, I guess so, but we do need to talk about it."

Putting that aside - putting everything aside - them showing up was nothing short of odd. I didn't recall telling Zain where we would be tonight and seeing how my phone was tucked away in my jacket, which was in Anais' car, there was no way they knew where we were. I didn't have Zain's cell phone number, so that didn't matter. I wouldn't have been able to contact him for help. He'd be late even if I had. It made me think back to just before Bella led us into the alleyway and warehouse maze. She must've seen the Volvo and wanted to avoid Edward.

"You may relax now, Anais. You are safe with us; no harm will come to you. I promise." Zain seemed adamant about that declaration and led us toward a private booth that was furthest away from the open area. As empty as the restaurant was, it was odd to want a private table.

"You seem pretty sure about that."

"Trust me," Zain's tone was soft. "When I promise something, I uphold that promise. You are safe."

That was reassuring. My nerves had already begun to slowly halt their anxiety-filled vibrations. I knew Zain enough to trust him. Edward, on the other hand, I knew him barely enough to put my life in his hands.

I noticed Edward's bronze hair before I saw Bella. She didn't seem at all scared or shaken about what happened. Negative thoughts flurried into my mind, but I shook them off immediately. Everyone dealt with trauma differently, I reminded myself.

Bella was the first to notice us, her brown eyes locking onto our frames. "Hope you don't mind, but I ordered for us. Mushroom ravioli and a couple of cokes."

"Anais is allergic to mushrooms," I spoke before my friend could. "We'll have to change hers."

"Oh." Bella's expression contorted for a second. "I'm sorry."

"Meh," Anais dismissed her and went for the chair closest to the wall. "I'm always looking for ways to take the easy way out. You'd be doing me a favor."

"That's not funny, Ana." I scolded her.

"Allow me." Zain was quick to pull the chair Anais went for out before she even could grab it.

"Geez...how do you move so fast? And thanks." My friend sat comfortably. And then Zain pulled out the chair next to Anais for me to sit on.

"Aren't you a gentleman tonight?" Edward teasingly remarked. "You're not like that at home. Esme's going to be heartbroken."

"Shut up." Zain shot his brother a warning glare, not that Edward seemed offended by it; the smile on his face told me he was amused by Zain's reaction.

"Thanks, Zain." I said to him and slid into the chair with ease.

"I'll go tell the waitress about the order." Without another word, Zain left the table. I watched him walk through the carefully placed tables and toward the front. He approached one of the chatting hostesses. They were immediately smitten with his beauty.

"How are you feeling?" Edward observed us, more Anais and I, probably because of our faces being so...not unscathed. Anais' cheeks, though she used hot water to get her mascara off, were awfully red. My face wasn't as red, but I was sure I was as shaken as a scared kitten.

"Yes." Anais answered without missing a beat.

The bronze-haired teen across the table leaned forward. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"Just yes."

"Like I told Zain," I cut in before Anais' anxiety caused more confusion. "We're overall fine. Do you expect us to be fine after that?"

Edward glanced at his pale hands. "No, I don't."

"Speaking of," I adjusted myself in the chair and rested my elbows on the table. And then, to the best of my ability and against what dignity I had left, I looked right into Edward's amber eyes that seemed more of golden dandelion color. "How did you know where we were?"

"Perhaps after you have some food in you, we'll talk." He merely said with a small grin, clearly amused by my attempt at intimidation. Though I wouldn't call it "intimidation", I had to get my answers with a strong voice. I felt as if I were trying to intimidate him, but it wasn't my intention to sound that way.

As if on cue, a waitress with curly black hair approached the table, three cokes and a basket of breadsticks on a serving tray. She placed the drinks and bread on the table with a smile most waiters and waitresses engineer themselves to have whilst dealing with customers.

"I was informed one of you had a mushroom allergy," Her eyes flickered between the four of us. "Chef's cooking up a cheese ravioli to replace the one for you." And then she settled her attention onto Edward. "Are you sure I can't get you anything?"

"No, thank you." The bronze-haired boy rejected politely.

Though she was clearly disappointed, she rebounded by asking about Zain. I don't know why her asking about him made an envious feeling go through me. Her eyelashes fluttered flirtatiously, and she tucked a stray strand of her sleek, ebony hair behind her ear.

"As tempting as the offer is," Zain returned our table. "I already ate before coming here."

The look on the waitress's face deepened with disappointment again. Such beautiful boys waltzed into the restaurant, and she had to snag one of them, she just had to. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I leaned into my palm, reaching out with my free hand to grab one of the cokes. My throat was parched, and I hadn't realized it until I saw the sweating glasses delivered.

"Alright," she sweetly said. "If you change your minds, I'll be around."

"Is that a Cullen thing, or something?" Anais claimed a coke, sliding the glass to her and snatching one of the straws brought with it.

"What is?" Zain, genuinely confused, asked.

"The whole ethereal thing you've got going on. People just seem to stumble in your presence. And don't tell me it's not a thing because I have seen how the nurses are with your dad."

I held in my amusement and grabbed my own straw and snatched one of the breadsticks too.

"Ethereal?" The boys grinned, amused.

"Rose will be delighted to hear that one," Zain's smile nearly blinded me. "You think we are "ethereal"?"

My friend sipped her coke. "Well, maybe not ethereal, per se, but yeah, I do."

"Care to elaborate?"

Anais shrugged. "Not really."

I sipped at my soda, watching the interaction between them. I found myself more relieved that Anais wasn't silent anymore, though she rambled when she was under a lot of anxiety and often said random things that most people would scoff at. But the two before us didn't seem all that bothered by her randomness. Maybe they thought she was like a breath of fresh air, like a new experience or something.

"Cold?" Edward had asked Bella. She had clutched her surprisingly half-downed soda, visibly freezing.

"It's from the soda." She answered while looking at him.

Without another word said, Edward stood and stripped off his leather jacket to give to her. She accepted the jacket and pulled it on.

"What were you guys doing in Port Angeles?" I glanced between the two, "Getting tuxedos for the dance?"

Edward laughed at my words. "I'm not going to the dance."

"I would've assumed you had a date already."

He looked at Anais oddly. "And I would've thought you had one as well."

My friend scoffed loudly. "I do, er, sort of...but at least I've got the dip, you loser!"

I snorted as I took a sip of my coke, which was a mistake as it came up my nose. "Ana...!" I grabbed the napkins to clean up my spit take. "You can't say that to people."

She looked at me. "Well, it's true! I mean, Bella's, like, right there, and he's dragging his ba-"

"Shut up and eat this bread!" I shove a breadstick in her hand.

Her blue eyes pierced me and then flickered to the garlic-seasoned breadstick; she took the breadstick and pointed at Edward, "Zain's got more game than you; suffer with that information."

Oh, my god! I ducked my head down with embarrassment. Now that the anxiety is gone, her emotions were becoming out of control and predicament. She was spiraling without realizing it. That's usually how she operated after she's calmed down from an incident. First came the processing and then she released every random word and thought. It got her into trouble now and again.

"I knew you were fiery, just not how fiery." Edward chuckled and tousled his hair.

"I am so sorry," I bravely met his eyes. "Given what's happened, you'll overlook this, yeah?"

His brows squished together. "There's no need to apologize. I understand you're in shock; I'm not offended or angry."

"Edward's right, Faye." Zain agreed with his brother, "Don't apologize."

"I'm not in shock." Bella suddenly perked up.

I craned my neck to look at her, my eyebrows piqued up. "Are you an android, or something? I thought you'd be more...I don't know - hysterical?"

Her brown eyes met mine. "Burying unpleasant feelings is my specialty - Mom's a scatterbrain, remember?"

"That's not a -!" I caught myself before I said something entirely horrible and unnecessary. "Has this kind of thing happened before? Maybe you need therapy. Bottling that kind of thing isn't healthy. At all."

"I'm fine." She said and glanced down at the basket of breadsticks Edward slid toward her.

"Obviously not." Anais remarked with a mouthful of bread.

I cast my friend a sideward glance and then returned my focus back to Bella. Telling by the expression on her face, she didn't want to talk any more about the subject. I guess I could let her off the hook for now.

"I don't need you guys to gang up on me, okay?" Bella glared at both Anais and me, and then tore a breadstick apart, nibbling one of the halves.

It was a bit silent at the table seconds after she spoke. Not a comfortable silence either, but not uncomfortable. Perhaps it was a little bit of both until Anais spoke again.

"So, you going to tell us why you're also in Port Angeles if you're not getting fancy dance suits?"

"I believe we'll keep that a mystery." Zain smiled almost slyly.

"Are you for cereal?" Anais grumbled before I could. "C'mon, man! Fess up or we'll have no choice but to assume you were stalking us."

"We weren't stalking you. Ever consider being in or around the same place during the same time?" Edward retorted, both amused and bemused by the pink-haired girl's accusation.

"Seriously?" Anais squinted at him suspiciously and I rolled my eyes. Here we go... "Your timing was too uncoincidental. There's no way you guys knew where we were exactly...UNLESS you were following us."

I nodded. It seemed the only plausible explanation I could come up with. It was a little unnerving to think that Zain and his brother were following us. We could be wrong, but it was beginning to feel as if they were indeed following us. Their timing was too perfect for them to not be. The brothers glanced at each other, speaking to each other in, their untaught language baffled me.

After what seemed like minutes, Edward sighed and finally nodded at Zain. My heart did a leap and tried to balance on a tight rope of anticipation.

"It's a bit...complicated," Zain confessed while he met my eyes. "Perhaps you should eat before anything is given."

"Is it a long explanation?" I asked and tapped my glass; my eyes met Zain's yet again.

"I suppose that will depend on whether or not how you process."

I gnawed the inside of my lip. It must be a great secret, then. Both of the guys seemed hesitant to tell us - what were they hiding? Many scenarios and theories entered my mind; for a moment, I zoned out, trying to think of anything that sounded reasonable and realistic, though nothing began to sound reasonable. My own sister had her theories too, and she voiced them, which caught the attention of both Cullens. Her theories had apparently concluded with ideas taken from comic books and unoriginal content, much like the radioactive spider that bit Peter Parker and the kryptonite that weakened Clark Kent. They were amused by those ideas.

For what it was worth, I was just as stumped. The thought of them being vampires might have been true. I wasn't sure what information Bella was looking for tonight, but I hope it wasn't Brom Stroker's Dracula.

Unlikely, I told myself and sipped on my soda more. If money were at stake, I would bet on Jacob's story. The piercing cold of Zain's hand still tingled my bicep. What did Jacob call them, again? The Cold Ones? Was that literally, or figuratively? I tried to recall as much as I could, though my memories seemed to elude me. Maybe it was literally that he meant about the Cullens being "cold ones", why else would he call them that specifically?

"Here you are." The waitress reappeared, startling me from my train of thought. A plate of steaming mushroom ravioli was placed in front of me and then another regular order of ravioli was placed in front of Anais. Bella's food was placed before her as well.

After the long day we had, the ravioli smelled heavenly. Dad's cooking would've been a treat too if we didn't have any complications tonight.

"Are you sure you boys don't want anything?" The waitress cooed sweetly to the brothers. They, again, rejected her offer to order, which, again, left her disappointed.

If I weren't so hungry, I would've been amused to the point of laughter. But what did a twenty-something-year-old woman want with a couple of high school boys anyway? Though the thought did have me thinking back to the warehouses. I had to shake myself of any phantom images.

Silly, I thought. Just eat. I scooped more ravioli into my mouth.

"So, theories? Right? You want some of mine?" Anais said through a mouthful of her ravioli. I resisted the urge to grimace. "I mean since you and Bella seem to be playing whose theory is the real theory, or something like that."

"It's not a game, Anais," my sister looked away from Edward and toward her. "I'm just trying to figure out if he's the real deal or a lab rat incarnate."

"Lab rat incarnate?" Zain repeated, slightly appalled by the name. "Edward, do just tell her. Stop tiptoeing around the truth. Your manipulative games are stringing my nerves."

The bronze-haired boy cast a side glare at his adoptive brother and then returned to look at Bella with a gentler expression.

"Not gonna lie," I gulped my food down and sipped on my soda. "I'm beginning to feel a bit awkward around you two. I'll just get a to-go box. Y'all are giving me second-hand embarrassment."

Bella went aflame. "𝘐'𝘮 embarrassing 𝘺𝘰𝘶?"

"More or less."

"Thank God, someone said it," Anais grunted and stretched her arms above her head. "I didn't want to be rude."

"You don't need other people to do that for you." Bella locked focus onto Ana.

"Don't give me smack, android." My friend retorted with a slight glare.

Android. I could laugh. Bella had emotions but didn't like to show them because she thought she wasn't "worthy" of having them. Or so I assumed. It was becoming clearer that she tried to be the adult she wasn't.

It made our mother more of a villain in my eyes. I knew it wasn't all her fault, but it felt like it.

"I'll walk you to your car," Zain scooted his chair out some. "Where did you park?"

"Uh...one of the boutiques on the strip? It was a dress store." Anais and I shared a look.

"That's halfway across Port Angeles," Edward spoke. "We'll just drive you."

"Then you'll tell us in the car?" Though it sounded like a question, I meant it as a demand. As curious as I was, my energy drained quicker than a faulty pipe. I wanted nothing more than to be home, in my bed, and sleeping.

"Are you alright with this, Bella?" Edward tilted his head toward my sister, to which she shrugged and stiffly nodded.

While it was very cute for Edward to ask approval from Bella, it wouldn't be her decision to overrule ours. I found it strange that he'd gone from suddenly keeping his distance to trying to be as close as he could. I couldn't be the only one who noticed. For the last couple of years, I'd never seen Edward take an interest in anyone the way he's taken an interest in Bella.

"Actually," I cleared my throat to earn his attention. "I would like to go home and sleep this predicament off."

He looked like he wanted to say something against my wish, but Zain placed a hand on his shoulder, and they did that eye language thing from before. Almost immediately, Edward caved in, agreeing with putting the Volvo keys in Zain's outstretched palm.

"We'll bring your car back," Zain promised him and then turned to Ana and me. "I'll get the to-go boxes."

It was only half a minute since he was gone, but it felt longer. Once we had our food in the packaging, we got up and left the restaurant.

We were bound no longer by Bella or Edward's weird, non-verbal flirty interaction. They weren't talking, and I guess that's what made it weird. I don't think Bella knew that they were flirting.

I shivered. It was a bit chillier than earlier. I rubbed my arms.

Zain opened the passenger seat door and the backseat door and waited for one of us to choose who sat where. Tonight drained us mentally and physically, we weren't in the mood to fight or argue about who sat where.

Anais sighed and slid into the backseat, closing the door after her. Usually, if she weren't the one driving, she'd call dibs on the passenger seat. I guess not tonight. I slid into the front seat, Zain closed the door once I was comfortable and inside. He was quick to be behind the wheel and start the Volvo.

He turned the heat on. "If I had known you had no jacket, I would have worn one myself."

"That's okay," I put my seatbelt on. "Mine's in Ana's car."

"You said the boutiques? Which one?" He glanced at me and then at Anais through the rearview mirror.

"Grace's Dresses; it's got a white sign with a gold cursive font."

Zain nodded and pulled the Volvo into reverse and then we were off.

"Do you two want to say anything before we get to your car?"

I hear Ana hum. "Yeah, there's a lot to ask. But I think the main thing is: how did you know where we were? And why are you in Port Angeles?"

"That's two things." Zain's brows furrowed.

"Are you going to answer?"

He sighed, flexing his hold on the wheel. "Perhaps we should clear one thing up before we get to that. I will be frank; I don't like to egg things on. Edward and I are vampires. So is our whole family. We were only in Port Angeles today because we were worried that a few visiting vampires would come here. And then we caught your scents and heard your voices, that was when we decided to stay close by."

"I knew it!" Anais laughed from the backseat.

"You did?" Zain's face contorted with slight surprise.

"Sort of," I said in Anais' stead. "Apparently Bella was, like, three steps ahead. She did so much research."

"Aside from school, I don't think she has a life of her own," Anais commented.

"Easy, Bella's good, yeah?" I peered back at her.

"Sure."

"Anyway," I focused on Zain as he drove. "It was a suspicion confirmed. We have Jacob's story to thank for that."

"Jacob?"

"He's a kid who lives on the reservation."

"I wouldn't know him," Zain said. "We are not allowed to set foot on Quileute lands."

"He may have mentioned that, too."

"How did you manage to be told Quileute legends?"

We shrugged. "Dunno. We were at La Push, and he just did."

"So, you aren't scared?" Zain seemed to be worried.

"You're not going to try and suck our blood, are you? Because that would, well, suck. No pun intended." Anais wedged herself between our seats and the center console.

"I do not drink human blood," Zain explained, slightly amused. "My family aren't the human-feeding type, though there are other vampires out there who prefer human blood."

"There are others?"

"Many. None around here, thankfully enough, but vampires do travel."

"Wait, so how did you become a vampire? Did it hurt? Was it lengthy? Did it involve magic or something?" Anais questioned away.

"Questions for another day. Here we are."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Anais frantically tapped the back of our headrests. "You followed our scents? Is that how you found us?"

"Not exactly." We were parked next to Anais' pale Accord. "Edward...he has a gift, and unlike most of our family, he can read minds."

"Read minds? Like ESP? That's not invasive at all."

"I suppose so, but he can't just turn it off like a light," Zain explained. "We lost your scents, and we couldn't hear you. We were just driving about, making sure you weren't lost, hoping that you were with your friends Jessica and Angela, but you weren't. And that's when Edward heard them: the men from the alley."

"Oh."

"We hurried as quickly as we could."

"And you got there on time, so thanks for your help."

"No need for thanks. If you three hadn't been there, Edward and I would have slaughtered those vile humans."

I watched his jaw flex as he clenched it. The anger was beyond just anger. He meant what he said. If we weren't there, blood would've been spilled. It would've been a vigilante move, but still.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't." I smile softly at him. "Despite them having bad intentions and all."

He was quiet for a moment and then reached the glove department for paper and pen. He scribbled something on it, tore the paper in half, and then handed it to me.

"Whenever you need me, call me. I will answer."

"You're giving me your number?" I asked puzzled.

"And your friend if she needs it."

Ana and I share a look. "That's sweet of you. Thanks."

"Please drive home safely." He implored us.

"Yes sir!" We saluted him and regrettably got out of the Volvo and its basking warmth.

He got out of the car when we did, making sure no one would try to harm us; when Anais unlocked Lorelei, he opened the door for her, and then for me. We were off when I saw him get back into the Volvo.

Making it home was smoother than expected; it'd begun to rain.

By the time I made sense of anything, we were already pulling into the driveway of my house.

I felt like a zombie as I moved around, exiting the car, getting our stuff and dresses, entering the house, and trudging upstairs to my room. Dad was asleep on the couch, so we moved quietly and quickly.

Finally, when we got ready for bed, the truth of what the Cullens were, hit us. Well, more than the actual confession. I couldn't believe it.

They were vampires.

𝘡𝘢𝘪𝘯 was a vampire.

It seemed my breath was just...gone. Vampires. They were real and they were amongst the town of Forks. There were more out there, too. How many more, exactly? A dozen? A couple of dozen? A hundred? Maybe trying to decide the numbers would make me go mad.

Maybe thinking about it would make me go mad. Maybe I should stop thinking altogether.

His having episodes made sense now. He said himself, it was something he liked to deal with alone. And there was that remark about him being Cullen, how it was more difficult than it seemed to be a Cullen. Now I understood why.

He was a vampire, and that secret was ours to keep.

I wondered how his family would feel and then skillfully took my bra off, tossing it into the overflowing hamper. My day clothes are switched with a pair of clean sweats and a shirt that was draped over my desk chair. It didn't smell dirty, so I pulled it on over my head.

Anais was already dressed for the night and had claimed the left side of my bed. She cuddled into my blankets, using half of the comforter as a body pillow. I joined her.

"Your boyfriend is a vampire." She said, curling into my side.

"He is 𝘯𝘰𝘵 my boyfriend." I was dismayed, though the thought of Zain being mine made my heart flutter.

"If you don't want him, I'll take him."

"Ha. Get your own supernatural romance."