Imprints( Paul Lahote)

Chapter Twenty-Three

I was dreading today. Because Bella will probably realize I know of the Cullen's secret, since Rosalie and Alice always hang around me, and I even hang out with them. At their table, at lunch. We spent all night talking about her "theory". 

I felt so cold all over I couldn't even sleep, even after we ended the phone call. Wrapped like a burrito in my blanket did nothing to warm me up.As I stood up, I saw my reflection in the mirror in front of me. Messy bed hair, lips slightly were swollen since I bit them in frustration, dark purple bags were under my eyes, which contrasted with my usually clear skin.

My eyes went down to the palm of my hand where I cut myself not too long ago., how, after the blood flowed just for a few seconds, the skin, the wound, stitched itself back together, leaving no proof of what happened that night.

Once again, I saw my brother run into the forest wearing only a tank top, a pair of shorts, and a strange tattoo on his shoulder that appeared the night he got so angry he got dragged into the forest. 

My hand clenched tightly while my gaze stuck to the edge of the forest.

All that time I thought only my brother was changing.

I was changing too.

I now was sure that whatever was inside my body, the black liquid was not some kind of illness.

But now, I had to find out what it was, and what was happening to my twin brother.

   I was right. I got an earful of Bella that day since Edward kindly told her that I knew about them, about their secret for a little bit longer than she did.

God was she pissed that I kept something huge like that from her. She was lecturing me over and over and over again. It has been a while since that day, since the day she learned of the vampires that roamed every edge of the earth( even though the earth is round and has no edges mind you ). She learned of their frenzy, the frenzy that happens as soon as their mouth is in contact with blood.  She even saw Edward shine in the sun like a diamond.

I hadn't even known they shone in the sunlight!

Bella described it as if Edward's or any vampire's skin was made of thousands of small diamonds in their skin.

That would be interesting to see...

Might have to ask one of the Cullen to step into sunlight one day for me to see.

Every day I saw my brother go into the forest, while this group of boys waits for him at the edge of the forest, waiting for him, all of them have that weird tattoo on their shoulder. They all are in the shadows of the tree, but I could see them, easily. I've always been able to see through darkness as easy as in sunlight.

The group was made of Sam, of the young man that helped Sam pull my brother into the forest and another one who stood behind all of them. This one I couldn't see since he was hidden by branches of the trees.

That strange tattoo. They all had it on their shoulder.

What the hell does that tattoo mean?

As soon as my brother comes back, and is unaware of my presence, I have to either take a picture of that tribal tattoo or draw it in my sketchbook.

But, for now, it's time to go to -

The doorbell rang and I peeked out of my room, only to see my aunt open the door, my little sister grabbing the hem of the older woman's dress, slightly hiding behind my aunt's long legs. 

" Bella! It's good to see you!"

I walked down the stairs as soon as I heard my friend's name and saw her, Bella and Edward in the entrance hall.

School, it's time to go to school.

I hope they're not thinking to take me with them, god, I don't want to be in the spotlight because of them.

" Anna we're here to--"

" No."

" But I haven't said anything yet..."

"If it's about going to school with you while you make your relationship known to the world. You are crazy if you think I want to be with you when it happens. I'll be right by my car, hood pulled up over my head to make sure I don't attract any attention while everyone looks at you."

" I think it's the first time since we arrived here, as in arrived in Forks, that you said so much in one single time." The girl said with an awkward grin while Edward snorted, rolling his eyes at me.

" Fuck off."

Something grabbed my shirt and pulled it slightly downwards, and I looked down to see my little sister, her big eyes, with her index to her lips in a 'shhh' motion.

" No bad words in the mouth of a lady!"

I could hear my aunt and uncle laugh in the background, Sophie cooing at how adorable my young sister looked like chastising me for my language. With a small smile, I pat my little sister's head while she snuggled up to my leg, wrapping her small chubby arms around it, looking up at Edward in slight confusion and in awe.

" Your eyes are so pretty." She mumbled, hiding her face in my leg, while shyly peering up at Edward while he smiled and knelt down in front of her.

" Well, your eyes are very pretty too, and those little pigtails sure are cute." He said, playing with her hair a little while she beamed up.

" Auntie was the one who made them!" She grinned up like Edward had put her on a pedestal and I snorted at that.

I rolled my eyes and gently pushed her towards the kitchen, and my little sister climbed up into my uncle's lap, waving her little small chubby hands at us.

Ugh. So cute.

My uncle's gaze on Edward was a little unnerving. It was indifferent yet hard at the same time, while my aunt seemed not to have a care in the world he was here. Edward either did not notice how my uncle looked at him, or he just doesn't care.

Anyway, it was time to go to school!