6: Katie

KATIE'S POVSeptember 13th

Bella's 18th birthday was a nightmare.

When we arrived at school, Alice bounced over to the car excitedly. She hardly looked in my direction, although I didn't blame her. "Happy birthday, Bella!" Alice chirped excitedly, drawing the attention of Mike from where he stood in the courtyard.

Bella's eyes went wide with panic. She hushed Alice, glancing at Edward with a look of betrayal. "I thought I told you not to say anything about my birthday," Bella directed at Edward, looking unhappy.

Edward shook his head. "Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts. You should be in a good mood, today of all days," his voice dropped to be barely above a whisper.

Alice didn't flinch. She smiled warmly at Bella, showing off her perfectly straight teeth. "You're coming over to our house tonight for a birthday party."

Bella went rigid. "I am?" She asked, more of a whimper.

"Yes!" Alice said, ignoring Bella. "Here," she thrusted a beautifully wrapped box at Bella, her grin widening. "I already saw you wearing it tonight at the party. You love it!"

I frown at her words, my mind scrambling to put them together. I come up empty handed, glancing between Alice and Edward one last time before dropping my gaze back to Bella.

She's staring at me. "Did you know about this?" She asks, a bit breathlessly.

My resolve crumbles. "Sorry," the words come out as an exhale, my face twisting apologetically. "I thought you knew."

Bella sighs, looking down at the present. "Thank you, Alice." She says, gently dropping it onto the passenger seat of her beat-down truck. Bella shuts the car door behind her, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "But... do we need to? I have... work."

Alice grins mischievously. "I already called— your shift has been traded." Bella still doesn't seem satisfied. A crease has appeared between her eyebrows, the shape of a v. "Please?"

Bella sighs again, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Do we have to?" She repeats, looking up at Edward. "I have to finish Romeo and Juliet."

Edward turns to Alice. "I'll bring the Swans by at seven."

Bella, defeated, starts whispering to Edward, which I take as my sign to leave. I cross the courtyard, headed to art, and Mike takes up steps next to me.

"Hey," he says gently, gnawing on his lower lip. "Is it Bella's birthday today?" Mike's face has one emotion written all over it: guilt.

"Yeah, but don't say anything. She's not excited about it," I emphasize the second sentence for good measure. "That's probably why she didn't tell you."

Mike blinks. "Maybe." He agrees, although his tone implies that he has another idea. In the last few weeks, his blonde hair has grown a little longer. It resembles Edward's haircut now, although his is more rogue and less model-like. "Would you like to go see a movie tonight?"

I blink. "Sorry, she's already spoken for. She has a birthday party to attend to," I say, feeling a bit bad for him.

Mike looks surprised. "Oh. I was actually wondering if you wanted to go see a movie tonight."

I stop in my tracks. Surprise is likely written all over my face. "I'm sorry, Mike, but I'm also going to her birthday party."

He runs a hand through his hair nervously, trying his best to hold eye contact. "Another time, then?"

I don't know what to respond. His advances are... obvious. How am I supposed to tell him that my heart is already shattered? "Depends on the day," I agree. I immediately feel guilty for not being honest, but how am I supposed to reject him when he's one of the only friends I've made at the school?

Mike's smile lights up his eyes. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. "Cool," he says, his voice laced with downplayed excitement. "How does this Saturday work?" It's Wednesday now, so he must be fairly eager.

"I'll have to check with Charlie," I avoid, knowing for a fact that I have no plans. "I'll let you know tomorrow."

Mike is clearly hearing what he wants to hear, because he doesn't catch my hesitation. "Okay," he agrees, offering to take my notebook for me. I let him. "Do you want to see that new movie with Amanda Seyfried?"

The romance movie. "Angela was talking about that the other day," I say slowly. "Should we invite her and Ben, too?" Anything to keep it from being just us two.

Mike hesitates, but his shoulders eventually relax. He seems to come to the conclusion that a double date is better than nothing. "Yeah, that sounds good."

——————————

On the way to the Cullen house, I realize that I am generally unprepared for the evening. If the vampires were going to interrogate me, I had no idea what to say without being snippy. It's a natural defense of mine to, well, go on offense. And I'm pretty sure the last place that would be helpful would be in front of a vampire clan, even if I had begrudgingly decided they were to be trusted— mostly.

Despite what Edward had told me, I didn't exactly dress up, but I did change out of what I wore to school. Now, I was wearing black tights, a grey skirt, and a black turtleneck. I kept on a pair of black converse, however, just in case I needed to be light on my feet.

Bella's present sat in a neatly wrapped box on my lap. My anxious hands fiddled with the bow, rubbing the plastic between my fingers as I stared out the window. Edward was driving, much too fast for Bella's truck, but I had learned from experience that vampires have a tendency to drive fast. They have good reflexes, and despite the capability to live forever they always seemed to be in a rush. Bella echoed my thoughts a moment later, asking Edward to treat her truck like a senior citizen. I almost snorted, but the uneasiness of my stomach made it impossible to make a sound.

Eventually, after many winding roads through the woods, Edward pulled into his driveway. I craned my neck to get a better view of the house; it seemed to be mostly windows, with modern-style architecture and a large garage. Lanterns were hung on the porch, reflecting the glow of the light onto the trees surrounding the property. The wide steps up to the front doors were lined with bouquets of pink roses. Bella moaned when she saw the ambiance.

"Big house," I point out to Edward under my breath.

"I have a big family," Edward replies with a shrug. He flashes out of the car to Bella's side of the truck, showing off his vampire speed. I almost roll my eyes, opening my own car door and tugging down on my skirt.

Edward says something quietly to Bella. She sighs, leaning into his chest, and they share a kiss. The way their shoulders are angled, his hand on her cheek, makes me remember the way Johnathan used to kiss me. The memory came to the forefront of my mind, so strong that I had to look away from Edward and Bella. I could practically feel Johnathan's cold skin pressed on my cheek, trailing a granite finger across my cheekbones and the panes of my face.

I realized that I was accidentally pushing the memory towards him too late. Edward straightened his spine and pulled back from Bella, staring at me in alarm. "What was that memory?" He asked, breathless despite his lack of need for air.

I lunged for the shield that protected my mind from Edward, scrambling blindly until my mind felt secure again. "Accident," I wrapped my arms around myself, hand still clutched around Bella's present.

Edward frowned slightly, eyes challenging. I have never met a more stubborn vampire— he thinks he's entitled to everyone's inner thoughts! I don't know how Bella can stand him. But Bella's a better person than I am.

Once Edward realized I wasn't going to explain further, he grabbed Bella by the hand. He led her into the house, a hand placed reassuringly on her lower back. I followed a few steps behind, taking in the surroundings. The house was expensively furnished, modern, and clean. I'd expect nothing less from an extremely rich doctor like Carlisle Cullen, someone I had yet to meet, but had heard a lot about him from Bella and Charlie.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, running down the stairs to meet Bella. "Just in time!" 

Edward and Bella branched off to have more time alone, leaving me alone in a room full of foreign vampires. Yippee.

"You must be Katie," a polite woman approached, her brown hair flowing around her in soft waves. Her body language radiated a sense of nurturing care— I'd be surprised if she wasn't the 'mother' of the Cullens. "I'm Esme."

I clutch the present tighter in my hands. "Yep, that's me," I laugh breathlessly, my chest feeling tight in her presence. It reminded me too much of my own mother. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, so you're the one who's been giving Edward and Alice hell!" Another called. I turned my head to see who the voice belonged to and saw a large, muscular boy with short dark hair and rugged features. "You're so skinny. I could snap you in half like a twig."

I roll my eyes. "How did you die? Getting mauled by a bear?" I snap, putting the present on top of a piano decorated with a vase of flowers.

"Oh, you're feisty!" He retorted, unbothered. "Does Edward hate it?"

I shrug. "Most people do. I think Edward hates everyone except Bella."

A tall blonde— Rosalie, if I remember from the picture Bella showed me— snorts. "That's true." The more I look at her, the more beautiful she becomes. I'd be self-conscious, but considering I don't want to impress any of the Cullens, I'm honestly relieved.

"So," Alice tries to gently insert herself in the conversation. "Care to tell us more about yourself?"

I can read the subtext of her question. She wants me to tell her why I'm so unique. Why I know about their kind. "Hasn't Edward already told you?" I ask, crossing my arms in front of myself.

Alice shrugs. "He didn't say much about you. He can't read your mind," she challenges. Despite her words, she's brimming with positive energy. "And I want to know why I can't see your future very well. It's all... foggy."

"Do all of you Cullens have a special ability?" I deflect, trying not to look too surprised. She can see the future?

A low, melodic voice makes me turn my head. Carlisle Cullen appears next to his wife's side, nodding a polite head in my direction. He's absolutely gorgeous, looking like he's in his mid twenties. "All of my children are gifted. But not all have an ability. Edward can read minds, Alice can see the future, and Jasper can alter the emotions of the room." He must see my questioning glance, because he adds, "Jasper could not attend tonight. He is... the newest addition to our family. He is still working on his capability to be around humans."

"I understand." My throat feels tight. "Your group are the best behaved Vampires I've ever met."

Carlisle gives me a small smile. "I... I am glad that my children have all adapted to my lifestyle." At first, I think he means his vampire lifestyle. But after a moment, I realize he's talking about his diet.

I almost chime in, but Edward and Bella come down the stairs from wherever they had gone. "Bella!" Alice exclaims, just as excitedly as she had before. "Say cheese!"

Alice snaps a photo of them, although only Bella is smiling. Edward just looks down at her, his lips twitching upward. "Katie, come get in a photo with Bella!"

I move across the room and take up Edward's spot next to Bella. Her hand wraps around my waist, and I put my arm over her shoulder. "Smile!" Alice calls, and I do.

"That might be the first time I've ever seen you smile, Katie." Edward states. I don't think he's joking, either.

I press my lips together. "Astute observation, Edward. That's hilarious."

The large vampire, Emmett, is howling with laughter. By his side, Rosalie is trying to hide a smile. I resist the urge to crack up at my own statement, taking the rest of the steps back down and crossing the room to where I had set my gift down.

"Time to open presents!" Alice declares, beckoning the vampires by her side. Emmett slinks off, and I automatically go on defense. I turn in time to see Alice hand Bella a box, and by the sound it makes when it's passed to Bella's hands I can tell it's empty.

Bella blushes, carefully undoing the wrapping paper. She stares at the box, confused, and says, "Um... thanks."

Edward laughs. "Emmett's putting the stereo in your truck right now. So that you can't return it."

Bella blushes crimson. I can't help but smile— I'd also expect that Bella would return an expensive present like that. "Me next," I say, handing her my present.

"Oh, please say you didn't spend too much on this." Bella pleads, taking the box gingerly from my hands.

I grin. "Open it and find out."

Her shoulders drop, and she looks absolutely devastated. "Katie..."

"Open it," I press, gesturing for her to speed it up.

Bella carefully tears the paper and opens the small box, pulling out a thin silver chain with a charm in the shape of a crescent moon. "Oh, it's beautiful," she whispers, giving me a guilty look.

Put it on, I mouth, jerking my head at Edward. He takes a step forward to help Bella attach it on her wrist. He almost smiles, and I wonder what about the present amuses him.

Alice beams. "Edward, your present now!"

He shakes his head. "I'll give it to her in private later."

Bella looks grateful. I scoff, "gross."

Edward snaps his head over to look at me, mouth drawn into an amused smile. "Mike Newton is preparing to give you a gift at your date, so you should be ready for that."

I groan as the room lights up in shock. "You're going out with Mike Newton?" Alice asks, jaw dropped. Bella looks shocked herself.

"I didn't know how to say no to him!" I cover my face with my hands, groaning. "He was insistent!"

Edward is relishing my distress. "He's practically in love with you." He states blandly, glancing at Bella. She frowns at him.

"Oh no!" I practically shriek, turning to Bella. "Go on a date with him for me."

Bella's eyes widen. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Edward doubles down. "You should. He's better for you than I am, anyways."

I ignore the double meaning. "Wait, does Mike like Bella, too?"

"Since I moved to Forks," Bella admits shyly.

"Ugh, this is such a mess," I mutter, tugging on the neck of my turtleneck. "Back me up when I pretend I'm ill on Saturday?"

We spend the next few minutes chatting about all things Forks. How school is going, how I've adjusted to living here. Eventually, the topic of conversation works it's way back to me and my experience in Portland. I try and avoid the questions at first, but the realization dawns on me: these vampires will likely be here for a while. What's the point of avoiding the topic when it'll come up again eventually?

I know the Cullens can sense I'm about to say something, because the room goes silent. They all turn to look at me, perched on the piano bench, and I know that this will be a rough conversation to have. Where do I begin?

"Well, here goes nothing." I say, swallowing the tightness in my throat. "Back in Portland..."