The Unwanted Imprint

Chapter 10

Esme was extremely relieved when Carlisle and Nichole came home, and she wrapped Nichole into a tight hug. "We were all so worried about you!"

"I'm sorry..." Nichole whispered. "I just thought that things would be easier for everyone if I was gone."

"Nichole." Alice cleared her throat. "There's something that Rosalie would like to say to you."

Nichole looked at Rosalie, and Carlisle motioned for everyone else to leave the room so that the two could have some relative privacy.

It was a moment before Rosalie spoke. "Nichole...I'm sorry. I projected my anger onto you, and it was unfair of me."

"Why?" Nichole asked her. "Why are you always so angry at me? I never did anything to you. Is it because I'm human? Well I'm sorry, but I can't help that. Look, I understand that you've been through some stuff, but I have too, and you don't see me blaming you and being angry at you for the things that I've gone through. That would be a petty and selfish thing to do."

Rosalie didn't speak, mainly because she knew that Nichole was right. Nichole had always tried to be kind, and Rosalie had paid that back with nothing but anger.

Nichole sighed softly. "I never had a big sister, and I had been hoping that was what you would be to me, but clearly I had been wrong."

Nichole turned to walk out of the room, but Rosalie grabbed her arm gently. "You're right, it was selfish and wrong for me to do that. At first, I tried to tell myself that it was just because you were human and that it wouldn't be safe, for any of us. But the truth of the matter is, I was jealous. I still am, I suppose. I know that you think that we have it made, but being a vampire, it's a curse. You live forever, but then you also see all the people that you care about grow old and die, and you know that you'll never see them again, not even in the afterlife, because for people like us, monsters like us, there is no afterlife, at least not one that would be good."

Nichole turned back to face her adoptive sister. "Rosalie, you aren't a monster, none of you are. If you were monsters, then you would have sucked me dry already."

"Trust me, there's been a couple of times that Jasper has been tempted." Rosalie chuckled dryly. "He's trying, and he's getting better, but he's still not as in control of his blood lust as the rest of us are. Nichole, I really am sorry, I'm going to try to get better, I promise."

At school, Nichole's brothers and sisters kept a close eye on her, and Nichole swore that she heard Emmett growl every time that Alex passed her in the hallway.

"Relax Em, I don't think that he's going to try and attack me in the middle of a crowded hallway."

"You never know with guys like him Nichole."

They had a new girl at school now too, the daughter of Forks' sheriff, Bella Swan. Personally, Nichole didn't see what the big deal about her was, but for some reason, Edward seemed to be enraptured with her.

"Edward, you stare at her for too much longer, she's going to think that you're some kind of creep or pervert."

It was lunchtime and Nichole was sitting with her siblings. Edward didn't seem to be able to stop staring at Bella, and Nichole was teasing him mercilessly about it.

"There's just something about her," Edward murmured before finally looking away from her. "And her scent, it's so sweet, sweeter than anything I've ever smelled before. And I...I can't read her mind."

Nichole giggled softly. "You, brother dear, are in love." She nudged him, causing Edward to roll his eyes and ruffle his younger sister's hair.

"Speaking of stalkers, it seems like you have one of your own," Alice muttered under her breath, motioning her head in Alex's direction. "He's been staring at you all during lunch, and quite frankly, it's pissing me off."

"Just ignore him," Nichole said firmly. "He isn't doing anything, and with you guys always around me, I don't think that he's going to be doing anything."

The bell rang and Nichole gathered her things. She had English, and that was all the way on the other end of the school, so she would really have to hurry.

"Hold up!"

Nichole had just been about to exit the cafeteria when Bella ran up to her. "Um, can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure, I guess." Nichole glanced at Edward, who was staring at them with a perplexed look on his face.

"That's your brother, right? Edward? Have I done something to offend him?"

"Not that I know of, why?"

"We're in biology together, and he's been trying to get a different partner. He acts like I have the plague or something."

Nichole sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry about that. It's nothing against you, it's just...Edward isn't really comfortable around girls." Or really any human, for that matter, with Nichole being the exception to the rule.

"Oh...is he gay?"

Nichole had to keep from bursting into laughter. "No, Edward is definitely not gay, I can assure you of that." If Nichole didn't know better, she would say that Bella seemed to be relieved to hear that.

"Um, a whole bunch of us are going to La Push this weekend. Do you think that Edward would want to go?"

"Edward isn't really a fan of the beach, sorry."

Bella shifted the books that she was carrying in her arms. "Well...what about you?"

"Me?" Nichole blinked in surprise. Was this Bella's way of just trying to get to Edward?

But Bella seemed to be genuine. "Yeah, I noticed that you don't really hang out with anyone other than your siblings. I don't really have a whole lot of friends either, it just seems like everyone is interested in me because I'm the new girl."

"Trust me, I know the feeling. It only lasted with me for about five seconds though, because everyone seemed to be a lot more interested in my siblings than myself."

"So what about it? I think it would be fun if you came along."

"I'm not sure, my family can be kind of protective over me."

"Oh come on!" Bella pleaded with her. "It'll be a lot of fun!"

Nichole bit her lip. She never really associated with people outside of her family, but Esme had been wanting her to make new friends, right? "Okay, sure. I'll have to have one of my siblings drive me there, though."

"Oh, don't worry about that, we're all carpooling, I'm sure that we can swing by your place and pick you up. I think that we're gonna try to be at the beach around eleven, so we'll probably pick you up around ten-thirty if that's okay."

"That should be fine. I need to talk to my dad about it first though. Can I have your number? I can text you and let you know what he says."

Nichole gave Bella her phone, and Bella quickly punched her phone number in. "You sure that Edward doesn't like, hate me? His nose scrunches up whenever he's around me like I stink."

"I'm sure that you smell fine, he's just being immature. I'll see you later, Bella."

"You want to go to La Push?"

Nichole had told Esme and Carlisle about the invitation, and while Esme was all for it, Carlisle seemed to be more hesitant about it. "I'm not sure about this Nichole, La Push Beach is on werewolf territory."

"But I'm not a vampire," Nichole argued. "Come on Carlisle, you guys are always going on about how I need to be more outgoing and I should make more friends, but now that I actually have the chance to, you don't want me going. I'm not a vampire, so technically, it wouldn't be breaking the pact that you guys have."

"Carlisle, let her go and have some fun," Esme interjected. "She's making friends, and she isn't going to be keeping those friends for very long if she can't even go and do things with them."

Carlisle sighed softly. "I suppose so," he finally conceded, and Nichole smiled brightly. "Really? Oh, thank you!" She hugged him tightly before running upstairs to her room, texting Bella and telling her the good news. There was just one problem though. Nichole didn't have a swimsuit. Luckily though, she had a fashionista for a sister.