August 3, 2010

Easing back slightly, I lifted my eyes to his, my face heating from the intensity of his piercing gaze. His hands tangled in my hair while mine drifted up and down his back, feeling the shape and hardness of his muscles. Moving in closer, I nuzzled his neck, humming softly because, oh my god, he smelled so fucking good. His breathing picked up and a low groan rumbled in his throat.

My senses went into overdrive.

I wanted to taste him.

Freshman year at Arizona State University was daunting but liberating all at once. I was lucky to live off-campus with my cousin Rosalie and her best friend Alice who were beautiful and accomplished girls. At least that’s what my mother told me. She said I should attempt to learn as much from them as possible.

Alice was kind enough to take me under her wing and regularly called my mom to update her on shopping trips, new hairstyles and various other exploits such as pedicures, manicures, spa days and etcetera. I went along for the ride and after getting my toenails painted enough times, I began to feel naked without some sort of lacquer on them.

I didn’t date – ever. I turned 19 in the September of my freshman year and had never really dated anyone seriously. When I say seriously I mean that I’d never dated anyone who had gotten my clothes off of me. Alice and Rosalie were hell-bent on rectifying the situation but I was reticent to try out the techniques they used.

I watched in awe as they flirted and fluffed their hair, danced and raised their glasses to guys across the room at frat parties. I watched as they gave come hither looks and back off I’m a bitch looks – all done to effectively snare some poor unsuspecting guy.

Don’t get me wrong – Alice and Rosalie were totally decent girls who had ambition and morals and values – they were just unafraid to use all of the attributes God had given them to catch the eyes of gentlemen everywhere.

I, on the other hand, generally tried to cower and disappear when the man-hunting activities came on. I didn’t want to trap or snare anyone – I didn’t want to go the romance novel route and lock eyes across the room. I just wanted to be comfortable with a guy, be his friend, and hopefully it would turn into something more.

What I failed to see was that with Rosalie’s and Alice’s ministrations, I’d sort of transformed from a geeky and skinny girl who was invisible at parties to the aloof and unapproachable brainiac-type hottie. Guys were intimidated by me. At least this was what Alice tried to explain to me – I totally didn’t believe her. I felt exactly the same as always even though my hair felt nicer to the touch and I found my own style which made me excited about buying clothes for the first time in my life.

*^*^*^*^*

I always took campus transportation from our house to the university. The buses were packed with students and I always sat at the front right behind the bus driver. For some reason, I always ended up talking to the driver – call it my innate ability to seek out the nerdiest thing to do – and struck up a friendship with this one bearded driver who looked a little scary but was the nicest guy on earth. He had long dark hippie hair with a beard to match. He was really, really skinny and seemed to spend his life driving the campus buses. After getting to know him every single morning, I learned he was a philosophy student working on his doctorate.

We had great discussions.

Right around the same time, new neighbors moved in next door to me, Rosalie and Alice. It was a group of guys, about six or seven of them, and one of turned out to be my bus driver. They had insane parties and it seemed that when they weren’t partying, they were laying out on the roof to get tan or get it on or recover from their persistent hangovers. One night, someone was lying out on the roof getting it on and Rosalie called the police. The guy came storming over to our house after the policeman left and pounded on the front door. Rosalie pulled herself up to her full model-gorgeous blonde height, stuck on her don’t fuck with me face and flung open the door.

The guy was absolutely huge. He looked like a black curly-headed bear but when he saw Rosalie, any menacing thing he was going to say transformed into rapt adoration. He stuttered and slouched under her imperious stare and ended up apologizing for being such a bad neighbor. Somehow Rosalie parlayed this kowtowing into an invitation to their next barbeque, and combined with the in of my bus driver friend and the big bear’s crush, we became friends with the neighbors.

We discovered quickly that they were a great group of guys – really nice and sweet – and we became fast friends, some more friendly than others. We ended up being invited to every party and barbeque and they always helped fix up our house when we needed help. They treated me like a little sister, which was fine since I was scared to death of them. They were all, each and every one, at least three years older than me and frankly, they were men. I was still more than a little intimidated by men. I liked the softness of freshman college boys.

Alice fell hard for a blond guy named Jasper who was easy-going and good-natured. He was tall and blond and had a killer smile with big green eyes. He was, coincidentally, working toward his doctorate in philosophy as well. He and Alice seemed to be in a constant state of flirtation, even after the big bang happened.

Rosalie naturally had the big bear, Emmett, immediately wrapped around her finger, and they played the most intriguing game of cat and mouse that I had the privilege to observe. She strung him along for days before even lowering herself to say something remotely nice. The first compliment out of her mouth was, “Nice ass.” After laughing said nice ass off, Emmett was caught hook, line and sinker.

I quietly and completely became obsessed with their bronze-haired roommate named Edward. Edward Cullen…Edward Cullen of the Seattle Washington Cullens. Edward Cullen played lacrosse and had more money than God. Edward Cullen was 6’2” and lean and walked with the gait of an awkward teenager. He had a smile that would make me either laugh with him or want to fan myself. He also didn’t get too friendly.

He never knew that I laughed along with him though. I definitely kept my distance because there was no way in hell or heaven that I had the guts to talk to someone like him. Plus he never, ever looked in my direction so he didn’t know I existed, let alone that I watched him and smiled when I heard his childlike giggle.

Edward giggled a lot, which I found endearing and surprising. How could someone that gorgeous giggle?

He was just enough man to scare me but just enough boy for me to be utterly consumed all day, every day.

*^*^*^*^*

Summer came and I begged my parents to let me stay and knock out some Gen Eds with fewer people around campus. Rosalie and Alice were staying too, but my mom still had to convince my dad that it was a good idea. She bargained that they would come visit at least three times and that I’d come home to visit them in Forks at least twice.

They hadn’t met the neighbors yet.

To celebrate our summer of freedom, we took a weekend trip to New Mexico where Alice, Rosalie and I decided to each get an unconventional souvenir. Alice put a little tattoo on the inside of her knee, Rosalie put one on the instep of her left foot and I decided to get a piercing. I figured that if I hated it, I could take it out and no one would know but me. Of course I called my mom first and promised that if she let me get my belly button pierced, I wouldn’t pierce anything else. She jumped on it like a life preserver and after the searing puncture of a huge needle through the forceps holding my skin, I had a prettily pierced belly button.

It was kind of fun and I felt appropriately rebellious. I knew girls everywhere had belly button rings but I’d never done anything of the kind. Even my ears weren’t pierced! I found myself buying different types of rings to wear and Alice nudged me to Abercrombie to buy a barely-there bikini that made the ring look really nice. I laughed before I bought the little candy-striped bikini thinking that I was buying ridiculously expensive clothes to accessorize with my belly ring. Crazy…

We laid out in the back yard to work on our tans every chance we got. Seriously. Every single day, Rosalie, Alice and I would take our little cooler outside with cold water, fresh fruit, and our towels. Rosalie brought a little spray bottle of cold water and Alice brought a spray bottle of lemon juice so we’d get some highlights while we were at it.

One day Alice and Rosalie had to take their graduate entrance exams and I was out in the yard alone. I distinctly heard a cat call from the roof of the guys’ house and when I squinted and shaded my eyes, there was Edward, looking down at me. He was silhouetted in the shining sun and his hair looked like a fiery mane.

“You should come up here,” he suggested.

“Why?” I asked, utterly baffled about the should part of his sentence.

“We have a black roof and it absorbs the sun. You’ll get more color,” he answered. “The front door’s unlocked.”

I sat and looked at him for a second, disbelieving that he’d actually noticed me for the first time without either Rosalie or Alice pushing me into his line of sight.

“Come on!” he prompted. “Nobody’s home but me and I promise I won’t bite.”

It felt kind of foolish and a little bit rude to not take him up on the offer so I gathered my towel and myself and walked over to the front door. It was open as stated and I walked in quietly. Unfortunately, the door slammed unexpectedly hard and Edward took that as his cue to beckon me again.

“Up here,” he said. “Stairs are on your left after the living room.”

I’d never gone upstairs in their house. I usually walked through the downstairs or just walked into their back yard during parties. Going upstairs was new. That was where the bedrooms were and it felt illicit for some reason. I wondered if Edward would show me his room.

I got a little nervous and I could feel my skin getting moist with perspiration. I ran up the stairs and there was a little sitting room with couches on the landing. There was a window thing that opened upward like the door of a Lamborghini and Edward was standing just outside.

“You made it!” he said, smiling warmly.

I was acutely aware that all I had with me was my towel and my sunglasses. Thankfully, they had chairs on the roof and Edward gestured toward them.

“Take whichever one you want,” he offered.

I laid my towel out and realized that I hadn’t said anything yet.

“Thanks for inviting me over,” I said. I smiled tentatively and Edward beamed back at me. “I’ve never been upstairs before.” I felt like an idiot as soon as that came out of my mouth.

“Yeah, well, that’s usually reserved for special people,” he winked, sitting down on the chair opposite me. “Want some music?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said. “What have you got?”

“Oldies – Van Morrison, Steely Dan – guitar music,” he said. “It’s Jasper’s so it’s sort of mellow easy-listening kind of stuff.”

“Sure,” I said. “Whatever.”

He put on Steely Dan and sat back down on the chair next to mine. I adjusted myself so that I was lying on my back and Edward was sort of blocking my sun. I shaded my eyes again and looked over at him. He was just sitting there looking at me and I said, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Your name’s Bella, right?”

“Yes Edward,” I said emphasizing his name. I couldn’t help feeling a little hurt because I could probably list out Edward’s whole wardrobe and his daily schedule and every little thing about his family that I found on the internet and he apparently wasn’t even sure if he knew my name.

“What’s your last name?” he asked.

“Swan,” I answered shortly. I was feeling dumb for coming over. I realized that I had just duped myself into thinking that he was interested in me, hence the invitation. I immediately adjusted my perception to acknowledge that he was probably just bored. This made me feel kind of mad and, admittedly, bummed out that I was so unattractive and uninteresting.

“Hm,” he answered.

“What?” I asked, my annoyance evident in my voice.

“It’s a pretty name,” he said. “Bella Swan,” he repeated more to himself.

“Yeah, weird right?” I snorted derisively.

“Why weird?” he asked.

“Pretty name for a girl like me,” I said, immediately wishing I could just shut up instead of playing the angry pity party for myself.

“Well I think it fits,” he said. He was still sitting there, continuing to block my sun and looking at me. “Bella – pretty in Italian – Swan – one of the most beautiful avian species – I totally think it fits you.”

Was he giving me a compliment? I decided to practice shutting up and instead said, “You’re blocking my light Edward.” No way did I want to kid myself that he thought I was pretty or that he was actually giving me a compliment.

“Where I come from when someone gives a compliment one should say thank you Bella,” he admonished. “I’ll move if and when you use proper etiquette. Manners you know,” he teased.

Hmm. So it was a compliment. Intended even. This was definitely a strange turn of events.

“Thank you,” I said quickly. I shut my eyes so that he’d see I was serious about sunbathing and not into conversation.

With that he laid down on the chair beside me and we sunned ourselves in silence for a bit. I was getting really warm really quickly and I sat up and asked, “Do you have anything to drink? Normally we have water but I forgot to bring it.”

“Sure,” he answered, this time shading his eyes and looking up at me. “We’ve got beer, wine coolers, hard lemonade…” he trailed off.

“Um, do you have water?” I asked. Liquor combined with Edward might be combustible.

“Water?” he verified.

“Yeah,” I answered. “Water.”

“Sure but we’ll have to go down to the kitchen to get some,” he said. He stood up and when I stayed where I was he motioned for me to follow. The house was much cooler than outdoors and with the sheen of perspiration covering my skin I shivered a little.

Once in the kitchen Edward grabbed a glass and pulled a pitcher of cold water from the fridge. I practically drooled when he poured my drink as I leaned back against the counter. When he held out the glass I eagerly took it and chugged down about half. It was so cold it made my throat hurt.

I licked the water off my lips and Edward just stood there looking at me. I felt self-conscious all of a sudden and he said, “I like your belly ring.”

“Oh – thanks,” I said, looking down at the hot pink ring that had a CZ dangling from it. It matched my candy striped bikini. “I got that when we went to New Mexico. Rose and Alice got tattoos.”

“Do you mean that you got the ring or the piercing?” he asked.

“The piercing,” I replied. I told him about the bargain I made with my mom.

“Your ears aren’t pierced?” he asked, obviously disbelieving.

To prove it, I swept my hair up to show him both ears. “Nope – untouched,” I said.

I blushed immediately knowing that the implication was far more meaningful than he realized. I was absolutely certain Edward Cullen of the Seattle Cullens was not untouched. I dropped my hair and took another swig of water.

“Can I see that again?” he asked.

“What?” I asked, feeling a little creeping sense of dread. He wanted me to pull my hair up again.

“Your ears,” he said. He sat the pitcher down and moved a little closer in anticipation.

I pulled my hair up on only one side this time, a little slower, more hesitantly than the impulsive gesture of moments ago. “This?” I verified.

“Yeah,” he said, and then he softly asked, “How old are you Bella?”

“19,” I answered letting my hair fall.

Edward was now very close to me and I had nowhere to go since the counter was right behind me. “You’re going to be a sophomore right?”

“Mm-hmm,” I said. It was one of those eye locking moments and I couldn’t believe it was happening. He just looked at me as his hand went up to loop my hair over and around my ear. His finger traced over the curve there and traveled down the outer edge to finally linger and caress my lobe softly.

“So little,” he said quietly.

He was quite tall and I didn’t realize how much bigger he was than me until he stood so closely. I tried to breathe but didn’t have much luck. I tried to swallow but my throat was half-closed so it felt awkward.

All of fingers joined together and he trailed them down my neck to my shoulder. His other hand came up to my other shoulder and his hands traveled slowly down my arms until he took my water glass and set it on the counter. He pulled on both of my hands so that I came even closer and he placed them on his waist. His went back up to cradle and pull my face to his.

“I should go,” I blurted out, freaking and shaky with the nearness of him and my fear of screwing it up. My hands shot up to his arms to try and still his pull on me.

“Can I kiss you first?” he asked, his smile crooked and sexy and thisclose to my face.

“Um,” I said lamely.

“Just once,” he said softly, persuasively.

“Okay,” I practically whispered.

He pulled me the rest of the way to him and pressed his lips against me. I could smell faint cologne, a little bit of sweat and something that reminded me of water or woods or deep dark wonderfulness of some kind. He was still at first, just touching my lips with his and then he lifted just a little, only to settle back against me immediately, moving his mouth so carefully, so quietly and reverently against mine.

My hands moved up his arms, under his elbows, finally resting lightly on his waist again.
I didn’t care if it was more than one kiss. I didn’t want him to stop. Ever.

His eyes were piercing, pinning me where I sat, like the proverbial mouse in the snake’s gaze. I wondered if for one second I had gone to far, that my lie was apparent across my face. My stomach felt as empty as my uterus until I saw something in his eyes change, soften just a bit. It was as if I could almost see the tears building behind his countenance, despite his attempts to brush the emotion aside.

I had hit a nerve.

“Really?” he said, emotion thick in his voice. “Does Edward know?”

“He doesn’t…yet,” I added, my belief that someday this would be a reality making my words sound true. “I was going to tell him tonight, we had a celebration planned, our last night together before the wedding next weekend.” I was almost pleading now.

He fingered the stem of his wine glass, his eyes everywhere but on mine and I felt a small victory in the air.

“Please,” I whispered, not above begging if it would get me what I wanted. Edward and the safety of his arms. “Please, don’t hurt me or my child. Edward’s child.” I continued, feeling the tight rope I was walking get more wobbly with every word, but like a junkie, I had to keep going. “Edward never wanted Irina, you know that.”

His eyes suddenly snapped to mine and for a second I was afraid I had gone too far, pushed the wrong button, but his countenance changed before my very eyes. He was defeated, lost, hurting from such intense pain that he was imploding from the very weight of it.

“I loved her from the very day we met, did you know that?” he said, not really expecting an answer. “I was twelve and she was ten, she was beautiful and fun, like warm sunshine in the middle of winter.”

“Tell me,” I encouraged. Every minute he spoke was another minute for Edward to find me.

“We were high school sweethearts,” he continued. “When I started my political career in my twenties, I had to give up my position in the law firm, but she was so supportive. We had Sam by then and life was great. By the time I was elected Governor though, she grew distant.”

His face changed again. “It was another five years before I figured out that she was wrapped up in the fantasy that is your fiancée,” his voice sounded angry. “He was just a boy, for God’s sake. What could he possibly have that was worth giving up everything we had built together?”

We were both quiet for a time, once his venom spilled, he just seemed…tired. Done.

He laughed angrily, sarcasm coloring the sound making me think he might be reverting back to Plan A once again and I fidgeted in my seat, trying to judge the distance to the door and whether I thought I might be able to get away. I didn’t even really know where I was although I had seen a large yard and houses in the distance through the bathroom window. Nothing looked familiar to me though.

“The irony is, it’s all gone now anyway,” the laugh quickly turning into solemnity.

“It is gone, don’t make it worse,” I pleaded. “If you let me go, I won’t tell, I promise. Just please, please don’t hurt me or my baby.”

He stared at me as though he could see everything he had done out of anger and nonsense stacked up, like bricks of his prison: the girls he had seduced in order to get back at Irina, the loss of his gubernatorial office that would take her position away as a first lady, my kidnapping. In his twisted mind, he felt that if he hurt Edward, he would be hurting Irina. At that moment, I knew that he had not thought this through past his initial blind hurt and anger. He hadn’t counted on the fact that he would be hurting me as well, and what he thought was our unborn child. Apparently even he couldn’t stomach that.

“Please, Marcus…let me go,” I said. “Go find her, tell her everything you’ve told me, maybe there are things you don’t understand. It couldn’t have been easy to be your wife; the pressures of politics are bound to take their toll if there isn’t ample communication.”

He slumped, defeated. Until I saw the daylight with my own eyes I didn’t pretend that it was over though. Even when I thought I heard Edward’s voice calling for me, I didn’t pretend that it was over. I was terribly afraid that my mind was playing tricks on mea, and then Marcus spoke.

“They’ve found you,” he said simply, as if he’d anticipated it all along.

I heard doors opening and closing and I had no voice to yell, knowing that he would open my door in seconds. When he did and he rushed across to me, I was paralyzed. I couldn’t move, and so I burst into tears, my body reacting in the only way it could. Vaguely, I comprehended the policemen rushing in, handcuffing a compliant Marcus, reading him his Miranda rights.

“Shh, baby…it’s alright. I’m here, I’ve got you…you’re safe,” Edward murmured, kneeling on the floor in front of me, his arms around me, his face pressed into my breasts as my hands were vice-like around him.

I would never, never let him go.

The rest of it was a blur, the paramedics came in after the police took Marcus away, covering me with a thick blanket despite the August heat and led me downstairs.

“I’m fine, I promise. He didn’t touch me,” I reassured, but Edward still rode with me to the hospital, to Carlisle to be examined and documented.

“It’s for the police reports,” Edward explained. “It is a matter of routine,” he said, wincing as the nurse shooed him away for my examination.

Within minutes he was back, on my side of the curtain, holding my hand, stroking my face as if I might fall apart in front of him.

“It was all about you,” I said quietly, finally.

“Me?” he looked at me confused. “What do I have to do with any of this?”

“Marcus was jealous about the way Irina felt about you, he wanted to hurt you, that’s why he took me,” I explained, anxious when I saw the blood drain from his face.

“He took you to hurt me?” He was stunned into silence. “Well, he knew what would hurt me the most, that’s for sure.”

“I don’t want to talk about this now, there is much I have to tell you, but for now, can we just be thankful and be together?” I begged. “I really want to go home.”

“I’ll see what I can do, apparently, it’s all in who you know,” and his smiled disappeared behind the curtain again.

This was going to be amazing. Quite possibly the coolest thing I’ve ever organized. Seeing as most of my family never slept like I did it was fairly easy to get them to see what I wanted to do. They were fighting all the time with Jake and his family and I hated that. I loved them all and had never been in any danger around either pack. I mean I’d been around them since I was born, and Jake has been there, better than any brother I could ever have. So when I showed him what I was thinking of doing for my birthday, he…well first he laughed at me. When he saw how angry I was that he laughed at my idea, he assured me it wasn’t that he thought it was dumb. “Ness, I think it’s sounds fun, it’s just the sheer irony of it that’s hilarious,” he says as he continues to giggle.

“what do you mean?? It’s a cool song and the dancing is awesome!!”

“Ness, it’s a bunch of mon-”

“We’re not monsters!!”

I know we’re not Vanessa but did you actually pay attention to the video? I mean dead people wondering the streets…and the Cullens-”

“Do not start Jacob. They’re my family. Emmett, Rose, Dad, my mother! She’s your family too Jake, did you forget that?”

It’s like I came into the world with a divorced family. Only my parents are still together. But seeing as how my vampire family are enemies of my beloved Jacob, his tribe and the pack of shape-shifting wolves among them, things were always a little tense. Which is what brings me to this idea. I Just want us all to get together and do something fun. Last time we all came together on a united front was to protect my life, even if it cost someone else their own. I didn’t want that to be the only time we could all work together.

I asked my family to meet me and Jake somewhere near the treaty line around 11 tonight. I had been on the rez with Jake all day trying to get everyone together for night. I could’ve used some help from Uncle Em but because I’m the only one in my family who can freely cross the treaty line, I had Jacob as my support; actually he was a much better help and I didn’t have much leg pulling to do when I told them what I was up to. The catch being, neither side knew that the other would be there as well. The even trickier part was how to keep my nosy father and Aunt Alice from spoiling things also. Once we got there, he’d sniff out the whole thing in our minds before we could get started. Alice may not be able to see me and the rest of the pack in the future, but she would surely notice that everyone else at home suddenly disappeared around nightfall somewhere approaching the treaty line. That only left the secret weapon in my plan: Mom. With her shielding our plan when others around and helping Jacob to convince Sam and his pack to come tonight, this was fairly easy to pull off.

Jacob and I were getting ready near the treaty line. “Does everyone have it down?”I asked. I knew my own family could get the steps down fairly quickly, but I was a little worried about my family on the rez. Not having the advantage of living for centuries like the Cullens, they had to actually practice and memorize. “They sure do. A few brawls aside we’ve everything down Ness. Don’t worry it will be fine.” I nodded and stepped into his 6’5 frame.

We were snuggled close when I heard someone clear their throat about 2 miles out. I stepped out of his space but still kept comfortably close to his side. Jake and I were close, always had been, but we were also mindful of my parents rules when it came to that closeness and the age difference between us. Jacob said he was fine with it, supported the idea even. I found completely hypocritical, especially when my own father had over a century on my mother and yet, neither of them looked a day over 18. Just as I see my family approach, we here the Quilutes approaching from the other side of the line. Leaving Jacob’s side I walk up to my mother, “Is everything set??”

“It certainly is. I had to let Alice in on it though-”

“Mom!!”

“Whoa whoa, I didn’t have a choice there Nessie. Once I decided to come to her for help she knew something was up before I called. Hell, she called me before I could even hit send!” My aunt the psychic. Vampires with super powers ruin everything.

“Vanessa, watch it.”

“Sorry dad.” See what I mean?

Alice must have sensed she was being discussed because she and Jasper came from the right side of the woods. “Well the music is set. A little difficult to get speakers and wires hooked up all the way out here, even from your house. Why are we so close to the treaty-” she and the others paused and looked over as the last of the tribe arrived. Alice looked at me, “what’s going on Ness?”

“That’s what we’d like to know.” I turned to see Sam and Paul, arms crossed, moving in front of Emily and Rachel.

I noticed two people suddenly shift to wolves on each side the group. “Guys that’s not necessary, and you know it,” I started. “I just brought us all here…to…well, Jake a little help please?”

Jacob, shifting back after crossing the line, walked back to the line at my side, dressing as he went. “We’re gonna dance people. And vampires.” I rolled my eyes at his unnecessary distinction between the species. “you all know what you’ve been practicing. Well, this is why.” Standing on the treaty line itself Jake and I noticed Emmett coming back to his side of the woods just as the music started.

You hear the door slam and realize there’s nowhere left to run
You feel the cold hand and wonder if you’ll ever see the sun
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination, girl!
But all the while you hear the creature creeping up behind
You’re out of time

“You have got to be kidding me. Thriller? Really Vanessa?” Paul laughed from behind me.

Give it a rest, Paul. The rest of us will go through it, since we know you have no skill or coordination whatsoever.” Jacob smirked back at him while the rest of the pack laughed, including Sam.

“All right then, punk let’s do this.”

I looked over at my family and they got into position as well. The music kicked into the dance break of the song. Jack and I stood back and watched our families ‘battle’ each other, dancing the choreography to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. “This is the coolest thing I have ever seen Ness. Look at them! Hell, look at your mom! The whole time I’ve known her she never danced and now look at her.” I looked over at my mom to see her swing her hands above her head and clap, then down to her sides, bobbing her head as she slid to one side. Looking over at Seth, who seemed to be having the most fun, was laughing and dancing, never missing a step. Everyone, no matter how old, young wolf, vampire or human, was completely into it. Emily missing a few steps, smacking Sam on the arm when he laughed, was determined to get through the dance. We watched them turn around and skip back, turning back and strutting towards the line again.

By the time the song ended, we were all laughing hysterically and commenting on those with a unique sense of “skill.” Dad walked over to me, on his side of the line. I met him at the center as he said, “Ness, you do realize the sheer irony of this, right? Monsters and human alike, dancing in the moonlight?”

Jake walked over then, “that’s what I said.”

“Yes, Dad. But you have to admit-it was fun.”

He pulled me over to him, smiling lazily, “yeah, I guess it was.”