The Day After

As soon as I'd washed my bloody maw until it was just a good ol' regular maw, I just sat looking out at the river, now being able to turn myself back to Edythe.

I heard her go to speak multiple times, but she stopped herself, probably waiting for me to speak so she could gauge on what would be best to say.

Chuckling in a self-deprecating manner, I didn't turn back as I spoke.

"So, Edy, what's a pretty girl like you doing this far in the worlds, this late at night?" I tried to add a jokey tone to my voice but it came out grim and dark, less like a joke and more like a threat. Not what I wanted but oh well.

As if she'd been waiting, which she had, for my first words, she jumped to answer this question.

"I heard my brother's thoughts when he came over for Bella - he was distraught, so I thought I'd come over and make sure he didn't try and kill the men...but..." her voice trailed off, Edythe no doubt biting her lip because of the awkward difficulty surrounding this situation.

"But by the time you got there, I'd killed them all," I apathetically spoke, possibly desensitized purely because I'd just killed; maybe tomorrow I'd be filled with all the guilt I should have right now? Kind of like I'm in shock or something.

Shocked by my candor, Edythe muttered her reply, "Y-yes...and I followed you here," she stopped speaking at that point, no doubt not knowing what to say to me.

"But...why? Why follow me? Why not bring it up tomorrow when I come to your house? You didn't need to speak to me now. If anything, you're the last person I want to talk to when it's about this type of thing," I whispered hoarsely before continuing with a self-mocking tone, "I just didn't want you finding out I was some kind of animal with your own eyes, is all."

I looked down at my claws before just letting my hands drop into the water to obscure them from my sight.

Edythe went quiet for a little while before she came and sit next to me. I flinched at the action, not wanting her to get too close. As despite her strength, and the fact she could probably kill me, I didn't want to hurt her. Even an attempt would be a disgraceful act in my opinion.

And in the state of mind, I was in now, it wouldn't take much for me to lash out.

But Edythe didn't seem to care as she reached into the river before yanking out my hand with her undead strength, not letting me fight against her for a second. Despite how my weakness annoyed and stoked my primal side awake, the feeling of Edythe's cold skin on my boiling skin...was calming. Relaxing. Like a nice cold shower on a hot, dry day.

She was like an ice cube, no, rather an iceberg that was slowly snuffing out the burning anger inside of me.

Possibly not knowing her effect on me, Edythe brought her head into my view, her gold eyes looking at me with worry, but also care.

"What was it you said to me about not caring about my race? That you didn't care, that you still cared for me as a friend and that you hoped it was the same for me," she smiled at me, her smile shining in the moonlight like a mythical event, dazzling and breathtaking, before carrying on, "Well it is the same. You're still my friend, Alexander. I was worried about you, so I followed you. I was worried you'd do something stupid, so I had to make sure you were okay, right now. I know the context behind what you just did, and I'd have to guess there are more factors to why you did it. I also have no right to judge someone just because they've killed..." Edythe's voice trailed off and I just looked at her.

At the curves and straight lines on her face. The way her bronze hair framed her face. The way her smile curved in just the right way that it was perfect. It was like every time I saw her was the first time. She was just that stunning.

And for that reason, I couldn't bring myself to refute her. Nor could I bring myself to stay next to her as I was right now.

Standing up, I looked down at Edythe before slithering my hand from hers.

"Thank you...Edy," I started, an uncomfortable smile on my face, "What you just said will no doubt help me through this but for now..." I trailed off, looking at the girl in front of me with grim eyes and a distant face.

"But for now you want to have some time to think about it, right? I understand, Alexander. I am a Vampire, after all, I do understand how you feel," she smiled up at me and before I could rush off, she pulled me down to her level and placed her hand on the back of my head and dragging it into her embrace.

My head was laid across her chest and I just stood there, leaning over into Edythe's embrace. Like when she held my hand, but even more intense, her cold body cooled my anger and let other emotions flow back into my body.

They hurt but I was grateful to the fact I wasn't some unfeeling beast.

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Alexander. That is if you're still up for it?" she spoke calmly and sweetly, like a big sister to her little brother and it further calmed my turbulent mind.

Nodding my head, "Yeah, I'll be there...I need a distraction after all," I mumbled into her embrace but when I pulled back and saw her smile, I knew she'd heard it.

Walking backward, I noticed my claws were gone along with my elongated canines. Continuing to walk back but still facing Edythe, I waved at her weakly before turning around and running away under the worried gaze of Edythe.

. . .

I was currently sitting at the table eating my breakfast. But unlike usual where I'd be devouring the food at the speed of sound, I was now only picking at my food, not feeling hungry.

It was weird. Everything I put in my mouth just felt...bland. Not in the way that it didn't satisfy me but rather that I just wasn't feeling it; the act of eating just reminded me of what I did last night. Every bit of bacon between my teeth was an all too real reminder of what I was biting into last night.

My sister and dad seemed to notice my lack of interest in my food but I explained it away as not feeling well, which my dad accepted, while my sister just looked skeptically at me.

Suddenly, dad got a call which he said he had to take and left the room. He came back within a minute and quickly ate his toast before putting his plate in the sink.

"Why're you in a rush, dad?" my sister mentioned nonchalantly as she ate some generic cereal brand.

My dad looked over at her before letting out a sigh, "There have been 4 more animal-related murders. Some drunk highschool seniors wandered into the woods and got attacked and a pair of woodland walkers found their bodies," he shook his head as he hurriedly replied before rushing off to get into his uniform.

Watching him leave I wonder how my luck was this bad - A pair of people walking through that specific location I picked. What were the odds?

But it hit me soon after that it wasn't a pair of walkers; it must have been the shapeshifters who smelt the blood.

Anyway, looking over at Bella, she was pale in both fear and worry. It was quite a contrast.

She must think Edward was the one who did that, right? Hope I didn't mess up their relationship or something.

Bella looked at me, and I quickly averted my eyes as she spoke to me, "Why did you click your tongue just then, Alex? Something you want to share? Maybe something you know that you should tell me?" she looked intensely at me, thinking I knew who did this.

Which wasn't wrong. It just wasn't who she thought it was.

Also - I clicked my tongue? Damn, I must've been so caught up in my annoyance for the shapeshifters who found the bodies that it just came out.

Playing it off, I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, I have something to share - I have homework to do on this glorious weekend," I lamented in an over-exaggerated manner before putting on a forced smirk, not being in the mood to joke but having to so I could wipe away suspicion of me being the murderer, "Well, not before I go to the Cullen's house~"

What I said instantly brought away her suspicious look and instead it was replaced with a curious, almost interrogating look, "Why are you going there?" she put her spoon down before leaning toward me.

Having an actually genuine smile spread across my face, I looked over at my sister who seemed confused by the sudden change in mood, "I'm going over to get tutored on playing the piano. By Edythe."

Her confusion disappeared as she heard the reason but her brows furrowed with a slight bit of annoyance.

"Aren't you and Leah a thing though? Should you really be going and hanging out with other girls and being so happy about it?" she tilted her head to the side as she said this but I just waved it off.

"Okay, even if we were together, it doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to hang out with members of the opposite gender," looking at her like I was looking at an idiot, I carried on, "And secondly, I'm going there to learn how to play the piano, while also hanging out with one of the only friends I have at school, not to seduce her, Bella," looking at her with a derisive look, I shook my head before forcing myself to eat the rest of my breakfast in a quick manner.

Bella looked at me incredulously but I just ignored her and didn't speak anymore because I was practically talking out my ass when I said I wasn't going to hang out with Edythe with ulterior motives. There were motives but...I couldn't bring myself to look like a playboy in front of my sister. Nor could I bear to look wrong in front of her - it was like showing weakness.

And you never do that in front of a sibling, it's like the rules of engagement for brothers and sisters.

Anyway, I went to go and have a shower before getting dressed so I could get to the Cullen's household by 10. It was around 8:50ish currently.

. . .

Toweling my hair rapidly, I got most of the hair on my head dry before I got about drying everything else.

It didn't take too long and I soon threw on the clothes I'd decided to wear today.

A blue hoodie, some black jeans, and some basic looking black trainers were what made up my outfit for today. It was pretty basic but I didn't care about what I looked like right now, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried I'd possibly go into another murderous rage and ruin some more expensive clothes.

My poor leather jacket had to be ripped up and distributed along the river along with my tie and dress shirt last night. Blood is hard to wash out, I guess.

Laughing at the dark joke, I gave my hair one last towel session before walking out of my room and putting my earphones in and starting my newest playlist which consisted of calm, classical music.

I would have filled it with Lofi-hip hop or something but it was the mid-2000s and Lofi wouldn't be that big until like 2017/18. Thinking about it, I wondered why I didn't try and specify that I wanted to be in a more modern Twilight when I wished to come here.

Oh well, it's not too long of a wait. Thinking about it, shouldn't I try and put some stocks in some businesses?

Thoughts for later.

Walking out of my house, I broke out in a jog as I ran up the street toward the secluded Cullen house.

While I was running, I got to thinking and I wondered if there was something wrong with me; I'd just brutally murdered 4 people last night, yet here I was, indifferently going on with my business. Sure, I felt bad about what I did and it had affected my outlook on myself, making me see myself as what I was - a non-human - but this...this isn't even as half as bad as I thought it would be.

Is it just a dramatization of movies and TV series that show people throwing up after killing someone, or fainting, or breaking down mentally into a fit of tears - is it like that and I'm just unnatural or...

Stopping that line of thought, I turned up my music before picking up my speed until I was sprinting at such a speed, you'd have thought I'd been training to become an Olympic sprinter.

. . .

Finally, I arrived at the modern house full of Vampires and found myself repelled a bit; the place stunk of them. It was like walking into a sweet shop that sold perfume as well, oh and the entire shop also just happens to be on fire making a thick smoke that smelt utterly overbearing.

Closing my eyes and pushing past the scent, I opened my eyes again before walking up to the door and knocking on it.

Before long, the door opened to show Edythe standing in front of me, looking as stunning as always.

She was currently wearing a white summer dress which despite its plainness, fit her incredibly well, making her look like some kind of princess or royalty. It made her look ethereal. Or at least even more so than usual.

She had her hair tied back into a ponytail, with only her fringe left, swept to the side of her forehead.

Both her mouth and eyes were smiling as she looked at me, seeming like some kind of angel.

"Hello, Alexander, how are you?" her sweet voice came out like a lighthouse to a ship lost in the dark.

It was when she said this line, I felt a weight disappear from my shoulders, one I didn't know was there. Pushing past this mysterious sensation, I smiled back at Edythe.

"Hi, Edy, may I come in?"