Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

SHE LOOKED AROUND. EDWARD DID TOO. THEY COULDN'T

believe what they saw. The room was empty. On the couch was a note. Carina grabbed it and read it out loud:</P>

"</FONT>Carina, Edward. We left because you two seemed really into your private conversation and we didn't want to interrupt. So Edward you're going to have to take Carina's Camaro back because we took your Volvo. Don't get mad it was Emmett's ides. Don't worry Carlisle's driving. We'll see you at home.

Sincerely,

Alice

P.S: We're all looking forward to the fight tonight.</FONT></FONT>"

"That sneaky little monster." Edward said.

"Don't call her a 'monster'. Come on let's get going." She took her keys from the counter. When they reached her car, Carina looked between her car and Edward and said, "Think fast." and threw the keys at him. "You drive but I swear if you get one scratch on my baby I will do so many things to you that are considered illegal in North America and Puerto Rico."

"Nothing will happen to your car on my watch." Edward promised. Carina nodded as she got in the passengers seat. They drove in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Carina!" Alice called as soon as Edward parked the car.

"Hey Alice." Carina said as she got out of the car.

"Alice how long ago did you leave?" Edward asked.

"Um about an hour or so. I still can't believe you didn't notice us leave. Carina why didn't you tell me you could read minds?"

"Because I didn't see the importance of it."

"It's not polite to have private discussions in public."

"Well what if it's not something anyone else needs to hear?"

"Then take it outside."

"I'll be sure to do that ma'am." Carina said.

"Good now Carina, come with me to hunt. Edward you too." Alice grabbed their wrist.

'Is there ever any point in arguing with her?'

Carina asked on her head.</P>

'Not really but I find it fun to try.'

Edward thought back.</P>

"What did I say?" Alice said.

"Sorry Alice won't happen again." Carina said. She turned and smiled at Edward. He didn't know why but he smile back.

"We stop here." Alice said gradually coming to a stop.

"So Alice what's on the menu today?" Carina asked.

"We have a bear, two mountain lions and a heard of deer. Take your pick."

"I call the bear." Carina said.

"I have the mountain lions." Edward said.

"Good I wanted the deer. Carina, take this as a learning experience. Everyone has their own hunting techniques. Watch me and Edward in turn and we'll watch you."

"Alright but you better hunt fast." Carina said.

"I'll go first." Alice said jumping up and down.

'She's so easily excited.'

Carina thought. She only realized her shield was down when Edward said out loud,</P>

"She really is." Then she immediately put the shield back up. "Why did you do that?"

"I didn't realize my shield was down." She began to follow Alice.

"So?" Edward asked catching up to her.

"I'm not used to people in my head, it makes me uncomfortable. I know 'you can trust me'," Carina mimicked his voice. "It's just complicated."

"Now Carina pay attention." Alice said interrupting their discussion.

Carina was amazed while she watched Alice hunt. No one would have guessed someone so small would be so lethal. Alice was quick; she took down one deer no problem. She bit down on its neck and was on to the next one before the others realized there was danger. Alice took one more down before she straightened up and looked at them.

"Edward your next, the mountain lions are down that way." Alice said pointing the way. He nodded and walked away. "So Carina what did you think?"

"I don't really know. I'm sure as hell didn't know you were that fast."

"Thank you, but my speed is nothing compared to Edward, as you will see. They stepped passed a bush and stood quietly.

Carina watched intently as Edward lowered down to the ground. The way he positioned himself made him look like a lion himself. His shoulders tensed, as did the rest of his body, as he prepared to pounce. The lions heard a slight sound and turned to see Edward leap gracefully into the air landing on one of them. The one that was still standing tried to save the other, but it was too late. It began to back away. Edward crept forward, never breaking eye contact with the creature. Then he pounced so fast Carina barely saw it. Now she realized that Alice was right, her speed, thought fast, was nothing compared to Edward's. Edward stood up; he had a mysterious gleam in his eyes that Carina couldn't name.

"So my turn next I guess." Carina said rubbing her hands together.

"The bear is that way." Alice said pointing.

"Alice you lead the way." Carina said.

"Alright." Alice said shrugging and began walking.

"Eddie did anyone ever tell you, you hunt like a lion?"

"Yes everyone does."

"Do you believe them?"

"A little, I can't actually see myself hunting."

"I can." She began replaying Edward hunting in her head. When she finished she winked. "So now you believe them?"

"Yes thanks."

"Anytime." She saw Alice stop. "Well it's show time." Carina walked passed Alice. Edward stood by Alice.

Edward watched, curious. Carina walked forward like it was normal to be face to face with a six foot bear, when you are barely five feet tall. She stopped and looked at it. The bear looked back and began to rise on its hind leg, pretty soon towering over Carina. Edward saw a smirk on her face. She cocked her head to the side. And then before Edward knew it Carina was on the bear's back. It tried to throw it off. Carina put her small hands on either side of the bear's neck and they heard a snap. The bear fell with a THUD. Carina jumped off and was done in seconds.

"Are we going home now?" Carina asked.

"Yes. Carina I didn't know that you liked to play with your food." Alice said as they began to run.

"Well you know sometimes I do sometimes I don't."

"Do you always snap their necks?" Edward asked.

"Yes I don't want the animal to feel any pain. I did the same for the humans I killed…" Carina trailed off.

"Is there more to that story?"

"Just a little." Carina said smiling.

"You two continue with your chat, just don't forget the fight starts at eight and it's seven-thirty right now." Alice said as she went inside.

"So care to tell me the rest of the story?" Edward asked.

"It's not a long story." Carina said.

"That's fine."

"Well I don't really know why I do it. I always have because I don't think I would have resisted looking in their eyes and watching the life disappear from them. That would have been too much. I always had a weakness of looking into people's eyes and everyone has some life in them. Some hope. To have to watch as that slowly goes away. I probably would have ended up starving myself. At least snapping the neck would have made the process faster. I don't know why I thought the same way with animals. With people it's easier to justify killing them. Animals on the other hand don't do anything."

"It's like I learn something new about you every minute."

"Trust me Eddie maybe even after a year you won't know everything about me."

"You say that a lot."

"Say what?"

"'Trust me'. I noticed you say that a lot."

"Force of habit. Before I was always trying to convince people to trust me. But that is a story for another day."

"I'm glad you warmed up to me so fast."

"I'm surprised I did ask Alice. I'm usually defensive or aggressive at first, for some reason I trust you."

"Good I won't hurt you"

"I believe you. I might hurt you physically but only when necessary."

"Thanks I think. So are you ready for the fight?"

"I'm always ready for a fight, Eddie."

"Good I'm ready too. So is everyone else for that matter."

"You guys don't usually have tow fights in a row do you?"

"No we haven't had entertainment for a while."

"Bueno, what do we do while we wait?"

"I don't know."

"I'm going inside, beat you in a few." She smiled and went inside. Edward found himself watching Carina leave. He realized now, that he had no idea if he could win. He couldn't read her mind.

'Don't freak out Eddie, the reason my mind shield will be up only to even the field. I won't read your mind I promise.'

Then there was nothing.</P>

Carina smiled to herself. She went up the stairs. She knock on one of the door.

"Come in." Came a voice from inside.

"Hello Carlisle." Carina opened the door.

"Hello Carina. What brings you here?"

"I told you to expect me to raid your library. I must admit this is impressive."

"Thank you, feel free to browse." Carlisle said as he continued to read. Carina found herself drawn not to the books but to a wall full of pictures. They didn't seem to have a connection. "This is the wall of my life. Have you heard my story?"

"Can't say I have. You were from London?" Carina asked pointing at one of the pictures.

"Yes London of the sixteen fifties the London of my youth." I would love to hear your story."

"Let's see were to start. My father was the Anglican Church. My mother died giving birth to me. He believed very strongly in the reality of evil. He led hunts for witches, werewolves and… vampire. They burned a lot of innocent people.

"When my father grew old he put me in charge of raids. I was a disappointment; I wasn't too quick to accuse, to see demons where they did not exist. But I was persistent; I discovered a true coven of vampires. The people gathered and waited where I had seen the monster. Eventually one emerged.

"He must have been ancient and weak with hunger. I heard him call out to the others when he caught sent of the mob. He ran through the streets. I was young and fast, I was in lead of the pursuit. The creature could have easily outrun us, but I think it was too hungry. He turned and attacked. He fell on me first, but the others were close behind, and he turned to defend himself."

"He killed two men and made off with a third, leaving me bleeding on the street. I knew what my father would do. The bodies would be burned ¾
anything infected by the monster must be destroyed. I acted instinctively to save my own life. I crawled away from the alley while the mob followed the fiend and his victim. I hid in a cellar, buried myself in rotting potatoes for three days. As you know, it's amazing I stayed quiet. When I realized what I had become I tried to destroy myself. My final try was to starve myself.

"So I grew hungry, and eventually weak. I tried to stay away from human populations. For months I wandered by night, seeking the loneliest places, loathing myself. One night, a herd of deer passed my hiding place. I was so wild with thirst that I attacked without a thought. My strength returned and I realized there was an alternative to being a vile monster I feared. Had I not eaten venison in my former? Over the next months my new philosophy was born. I could exist without being a demon. I found myself again.

"I began to make better use of my time. I'd always been intelligent, eager to learn. Now I had unlimited time before me. I studied by night, planned by day. I swam to France," he looked at a different picture Carina followed his eyes, "and continued on through Europe to the universities there. By night I studied music, science and medicine ¾
and I found my calling, my penance, in that, in saving human lives." Carina saw Carlisle's expression soften even more. "It took me two centuries of torturous effort to perfect my self-control. I'm now all but immune to the sent of human blood, and I am able to do the work I love without agony," He now looked at a huge painting in front of him.

"I was studying in Italy when I discovered the other there. There were more civilized and educated than the ones in London." The picture he was looking at had four figures on the highest balcony, looking calmly on the mayhem below them. Carina saw Carlisle smile.

"Solimena was greatly inspired by my friends. He often painted them as gods. Aro, Marcus and Caius," Carlisle pointed them out. "You would know them as leaders of the Volturi." Carina nodded not wanting to ruin the story. "I stayed with them only for a short time, just a few decades. I greatly admired their civility, their refinement, but they persisted in trying to cure my aversion to my 'natural food source', as they called it. They tried to persuade me and I tried to persuade them, to avail. At that point, I decided to try the New World. I dreamed of finding others like myself. I was very lonely.

"I didn't find anyone for a long time. But as monsters became stuff of fairytales, I found I could interact with unsuspecting humans as if I were one of them. I began practicing medicine. But the companionship I craved evade. I couldn't risk familiarity."

"When the influenza epidemic hit. I was working nights in a hospital in Chicago. I'd been turning over an idea in my mind for several years, and I had almost decided to act ¾
since I couldn't find a companion, I would create one. I was hesitant; I didn't really know how my own transformation occurred. I didn't want to steal anyone's life like mine was stolen. In that frame of mind I found Edward. I wasn't sure even then to change him. It was his mother, Elizabeth that made up my mind. His father, Edward senior, never regained consciousness in the hospital. He died in the first wave of the influenza.

"But Elizabeth was alert until almost the very end. Edward looked a great deal like her ¾
she had the same strange bronze hair and her eyes were exactly the same color green. Elizabeth worried obsessively over her son. She hurt her own chances by trying to nurse him from her sick bed. I expected that he would go first, he was so much worse off than she was. When the end came for her it was very quick," Carina saw what he was saying in his head. "It was just sunset, and I'd arrived to relieve the doctors who'd been working all day. That was a hard time to pretend ¾
there was so much to do be done, and I had no need of rest. How I hated to go back to my house, to hide in the dark and pretend to sleep while so many were dying,

"I went to check on Elizabeth and her son first. I'd grown attached ¾
always a dangerous thing to do considering the fragile nature of human. I could see at once that she'd taken a bad turn. The fever was raging out of control, and her body was too weak to fight anyone.

"She didn't look weak, though, when she glared up at me from her cot.

"'Save him.' she commanded me in the hoarse voice that was all her throat could manage.

"'I'll do everything in my power.' I promised her, taking her hand. The fever was so high, she probably couldn't even tell how unnaturally cold mine felt. Everything felt cold to her skin.

"'You must.' she insisted, clutching at my hand with enough strength that I wondered if she could pull through the crisis. Her eyes were hard, like stone, like emeralds. 'You must do everything in your power. What others can not do, that is what you must do for my Edward.'

"It frightened me. She looked at me with those piercing eyes, and, for one instant, I felt certain that she knew my secret. Then the fever overwhelmed her, and she never regained consciousness. She died within an hour of making her demand.

"I'd spent decades considering the idea of creating a companion for myself. Just one other creature who could really know me, rather than what I pretend to be. But I could never justify myself ¾
doing what had been done to me.

"There Edward lay, dying. It was clear that he had only hours left. Beside him, his mother, her face somehow not yet peaceful, not even in death.  Her words echoed in my head. How could she guess what I could do? Could anyone want that for their son?

"I looked at Edward. Sick as he was, he was still beautiful. There was something pure and good about his face. The kind of face I would have wanted my son to have.

"After all those years of indecision, I simply acted on a whim. I wheeled his mother to the morgue first, and then I came back for him. No one noticed that he was still breathing. There weren't enough hands, enough eyes, to keep track of half of what the patients needed. The morgue was empty ¾
of the living, at least. I stole him out the back door, and carried him across the rooftops back to my house.

"I wasn't sure what had to be done. I settled for recreating the wounds I received myself. I felt bad about that later. It was more painful and lingering than necessary. I wasn't sorry though. I've never regretted saving Edward." Carlisle smiled at Carina.

"So you changed Eddie first?"

"Yes." Carlisle smiled at the nickname.

"Then who?"

"Next was Esme. I'd taken care for her when she was a child. She was pregnant. She was ecstatic to be having a baby; she was around twenty-six and eager to be a mother. She had a still birth. The baby was born dead. The pain of losing her baby was too much for her to handle. She attempted suicide. She jumped off a cliff. They immediately pronounced her dead and took her straight to the cemetery. I was passing and I heard a faint heart beat. I got her out. I recognized her, I took her home. I took a risk with her. I gave her fewer bites than I gave Edward. She seemed to be taking it well.

"After I changed Esme, I changed Rosalie. She was to only one I regretted changing. She actually wanted to die. You see she was engaged to a young man. She was at the peak of her life, at only eighteen. One night while walking home from a friend's house, she was attacked. Her fiancé and a few friends of his were drunk. They tortured her and left her bleeding on the street. I smelled the blood I saw her. I couldn't leave her there. I took her home; she was the worse in the change, begging for death with each breath she took. I explained it would be over, and explained what she was becoming. I meant for her to be for Edward what Esme is to me, but I realize quickly they would be nothing more than bother and sister.

"Emmett was last. I didn't find him; Rosalie actually did only at two years old. She had gone hunting and saw him being mauled by a bear. She took care of the bear first then turned to him. She didn't trust herself to change him. She ran over a hundred miles, caring him. She asked me to change him for her. I did. The entire time I watched him, it surprised me that, nothing seemed to surprise him. He didn't seem shocked when the venom spread. The whole time he only seemed shocked that Rosalie was there. He watched her for those days, she stared back. After the change I told him that he was a vampire, he shrugged it off, like I had merely complimented him on his shirt. And you know Alice and Jasper's story right?"

"Yeah." She looked around. She then looked at the clock. "Oh crap. Excuse my language but the fight is going to start in one minute." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of his study and down the stairs. "Sorry I'm late." Carina came to a stop right in front of Edward.

"I was staring to think you were backing out." Edward teased.

"You're funny. So the rules, I was thinking we make a wrestling ring you know like the ones on WWE and RAW."

"That would be great but where would we get the equipment?" Emmett asked.

"Well Emmett if you and Jasper would please follow me, we could go get them."

"Why us?" Jasper asked.

"That way Eddie over there won't get the idea I'm running away. I wouldn't want him to think he scares me."

"Okay, then are we taking your car?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah come on. Give us an hour tops." Carina said turning to her car. Emmett and Jasper followed and she turned on her car and pealed out of the driveway.

"So where are you taking us?"

"You'll see when we get there." Carina smiled. She turned on her radio; it began to play a song in Spanish. Jasper raised an eyebrow. "What, you never heard Daddy Yankee before?" He didn't answer, just smirked and looked ahead. "Whatever." She pretended the steering wheel was the drum at every red light.

About ten minutes later she stopped in front of a gate with a sign that said: "</FONT>José's junkyard

Your trash is our treasure</FONT>"

"Good he's still open. Pepe, estás</FONT> aquí?" Carina called. A man walked forward.

"Carina?" The man called back with a heavy accent.

"¿Pues quien mas? ¿Podemos entrar?"

"Oh sí espere un momento." Then the rusted gate started to open slowly. Carina drove forward slowly. She stopped and got out. Emmett and Jasper hesitated.

"Come on he won't bite." They got out and followed. "Hola Pepe ¿como estás?"

"No estoy bien, la policía no me deja en paz. Bueno, ¿qué vas a hacer? ¿Y tú? ¿cómo estás?"

"Mas mejor que usted." Carina laughed.

"Creo que tienes razón." Pepe laughed along with her.

"Pepe estos son mis amigos, Jasper y Emmett. Ellos no hablan español."

"Perdón. Hello my name is José, how can I help you?" Pepe asked in a heavy accent.

"No te preocupes Pepe te llamaré cuando termine." Carina said.

"Have fun." Pepe said going back to the control room.

"Carina you do know I talk Spanish too?" Jasper asked.

"Yes but Pepe wouldn't have gone if he knew that. So what I need you two to do is find four sturdy looking poles. I got the rope. Hurry we got forty minutes left." She did an about-face and began searching.

"This is going to be interesting. Care for a bet brother?" Emmett asked as he and Jasper began to search in the other direction.

"Sure three hundred on Carina." Jasper said.

"Nah, Edward won't stand to loose to her again, three on Edward." They shook on it.

After a while of searching, they were done. They found Pepe and paid for the stuff. They packed everything into the car and left.

"So Carina you nervous?" Emmett asked.

"Of course. Who wouldn't be nervous going against someone they've beaten before?" Carina said sarcastically.

"But you used your field before."

"So I was kicking your butts before that. I just get bored easily." Carina said turning on the radio again.

After they unloaded everything in the backyard, Carina sent everyone away and began making a ring like on TV. Edward watched from the window, she was moving fast. Half the ring was done in a minute. In another minute she was done and called everyone outside.

"Esme, would you do the honors of being the ref for this match?"

"Aw I wanted to be the ref." Emmett whined.

"No only Esme or Carlisle. The rest of you are biased. So how about it Esme?"

"I'll be glad to. What are the rules exactly?" Esme asked.

"Okay let's say that Eddie has me pinned," she snorted. "He has to keep me there to the count of three. Like one…two…three." She clarified. "We out of the ring for five seconds. We can't use anything but our bodies. If one of us touches to bottom rope then you interfere for about five seconds. I think that's it. Have anything to add Eddie?"

"No that sounds about right."

"Good let's get in." She climbed in. Edward went in through the opposite side. Esme stood in the middle.

"Edward, are you ready?" Esme asked Edward. He nodded his head not taking his eyes away from Carina. "Carina, are you ready?" Carina nodded not looking away from Edward. "Go!" Esme got out of the way. Edward and Carina began to circle each other. He went at her; somehow she dodged him causing him to make a dent in one of the poles with his head. She beckoned him forward, pushing his buttons. She dodged him for a few more seconds. Then out of nowhere, she had him pinned. No one existed he stared at her. He barely heard Esme. He had forgotten what they were doing until Carina leaned in and whispered,

"You lose Eddie. You clean up." She got off of him and then Jasper and Carlisle lifted her up on their shoulders. Everyone was cheering except for Emmett. Emmett looked at Edward and shook his head following everyone inside. Edward lifted one pole out of the ground then the other three. When he finished, he dusted his hands and went inside.

Carina stared curiously at Edward as he walked in. The rest of the evening was pretty relaxed; aside form the few playful teasing. At around three in the morning Carina went home.

'Edward can you hear me?'

Carina asked while driving.</P>

'Yes.'

'I want to test how far apart we can be before we lose the connection.'

'Alright what do we talk about?'

'I want to know what your real condition would be if you had one.'

'Nothing, don't worry about it.'

'Come on tell me I want to know.'

'Well nothing really creative, it would have been for me to be allowed to call you whatever I wished.'

'It really annoys you so much that I call you 'Eddie'?'

'Yes I never let anyone call me 'Eddie'.'

'Then why do you let me?'

'I don't actually let you. You won't give me anytime to resist, so I accepted it to a point.'

'If it bothers you so much I'll call you 'Edward'. I don't have a problem with that. I only called you 'Eddie' because it seemed to annoy you I always thought that you were playing along.'

'So what's you condition for winning?'

'Well to tell you the truth I haven't thought about it.'

'Are you serious?' There was a barely recognizable pause.

'Yeah I didn't really think about it.'

'Great now I have to be on my guard until you tell me.'

'Actually you have to be on your guard for the next week.'

'That's right. So what are you going to make us do?'

'Don't worry about it.'

'It that code for you haven't planned anything yet?'

'Yes but don't push your luck.'

'How far are you?'

'I'm at home. Well guess that means I don't need a phone.'

'Are we the only ones you are going to talk to?'

'No I have other friends. I hope they aren't too mad at me.'

'Why would they be mad?'

'I didn't hang out with them for a week.'

'So what's wrong with that?'

'They are my friends. I can't just ditch them to hang out with you guys. It's okay to branch out.'

'But what's the point?'

'What do you mean?'

'What's the point of branching out if you are never going to see them again?'

'It's the way I am. Before I couldn't be friends with others outside of my coven. Out of the two high schools I've graduated from I miss every one of my friends.'

'I still don't see the point.'

'You don't have to; it's what work for me.'

'Okay, okay so what's your schedule like?'

'English, Geometry, Drama, History, and last Biology, you?'

'English, Geometry, Biology, History and Spanish II.'

'Who do you have for Geometry and History?'

'Mr. Bain and Ms. Jones.'

'Me too seems like we're going to see a lot of each other Eddie… oops give me some time to get used to 'Edward'.'

'Okay did they give homework?'

'Like it matters, you would catch up in no time.'

'You're right, why aren't you in music class?'

'Why aren't you?'

Carina challenged.</P>

'Touché.'

'This school doesn't have a music program. Edward let me talk to you later, Brendan is coming over. I have to get ready.'

'Who's that?'

'Ethan's older brother, he's in college. Man I've missed him so much. I love that dude. Well bye.'

Nothing.</P>

Edward couldn't understand the feeling coursing through him. He was suddenly angry, but he knew it wasn't exactly anger going through him. A bubble formed somewhere deep inside of him. He never felt anything like this. He was glad that Jasper and Alice were out somewhere. He went upstairs to his room. He closed his door and put the music on high. This told everyone that he wanted to be alone. Nothing made sense, why was he feeling this way? All Carina said was that a college boy was going to her house. Edward knew that if Brendan, the name filled with hate, tried anything Carina could keep him away, even with out using her field, as he learned today. So why did he feel a need to go over to her house and watch over Brendan? He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. To distract himself he listened to the rhythm of the song that was playing.

"So Brendan how's it going?" Carina asked as they walked into the living room.

"Everything's fine. No boyfriend yet?" he smiled at her. She rolled her eyes; he always asked that question, he was like her older brother.

"No Brendan no boyfriend, but I have a few new guy friends."

"Anyone I need to worry about?"

"Not that I know of."

"What are their names? I want first and last name and age."

"And if I don't want them checked out?"

"Then I'll go to Reese and find them myself."

"Yo chill Edward Clark seventeen, Jasper Karr eighteen, and Emmett Clark eighteen. Do you want to know the girls too?"

"Sure couldn't hurt."

"Alice Clark is seventeen and Rosalie Karr is eighteen. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic," he picked a movie and went to put it in the DVD player.

"Dan, why do you do that whenever I make new friends? I've only known you for a few months?"

"Because your parents aren't here to do it. I don't know why but if something happens to you I would feel responsible."

"You are too sweet." Carina hugged him, he had gotten used to how cold she felt.

"I'm going to be your brother whether you like it or not."

"You might as well be. I love you for that."

"I love you too. Do you have any popcorn?'

"I'll get it. What movie did you pick?"

"You know my favorite." She smiled at him and put the popcorn in the microwave.

They watched the movie silently. It was a horror movie but they watch it so much that it didn't scare them anymore. They made occasional comments.

"So Brendan where are you working now?" Carina asked when the movie finished.

"I got a job on campus?"

"Since when?"

"First week of school."

"Do you have a dorm?"

"Yes but that doesn't mean I won't be over every weekend to visit. My roommate is so quiet. When he's not in the dorm studying he's in the library studying." He shook his head.

"That sucks my parents told me that we're moving after senior year."

"No way now that sucks. Do you know where?"

"No they haven't decided yet."

"You at least need to call every weekend."

"I can't forget my big brother now can I?" Carina smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Oh man C.C. I gotta go."

"Same time next week?"

"It's a date." He laughed, hugged her and left. Carina locked the door behind him and went to her music room. Instead of playing her violin or her guitar, she went to the piano. She ran her finger across the keys and smiled.

She couldn't believe how fast things were going with her new family. She loved all of them. She knew that they would always be there for her. They were so much fun. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this loved. She never had a big family, it felt nice. Now all she could do was remember the two people closest to her. They should have moved on by now, probably forgotten her. They got along before she came, they must have gotten over her running away and acted like she was never there.

Carina sunk to the floor pulling her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth. It hurt a lot to think of them. To think of them forgetting her. She loved them more than anything else. They would never know how with each step she took away from them, from her home, her family hurt. Each step felt like it was ripping at her. Her body telling her she left something behind. Her mind imagining the look on her two friends' faces when they realized that she wasn't coming back.

She then met Debbie. Debbie helped her through everything, but not for long. It was true, she and Debbie were almost best friends, and they told each other everything. What Debbie told her was not something you hear every vampire say. Debbie told her, after six years, that she wanted to die. She hated being alive, in any sense. She was always trying to persuade Carina to kill her. Debbie finally convinced her five years before, by telling her she had a plan to solve both of their problems.

Debbie told Carina that if she was burned with Carina's things then her sent will be mixed into the smoke, giving the impression that Carina was killed. Carina knew it was a matter of time before Estelle sent someone after her. Debbie's plan could ¾
no ¾
would work. But nonetheless, they went to a forest. In the middle of a clearing they piled clothes belonging to Carina.  They soaked the clothes in gasoline. Debbie was in the center, as if she was going to bed. Debbie kept eye contact with Carina. As Carina lit the match and dropped it on the cloths Debbie's eyes were still on her.

Debbie had a peaceful expression on her face as she stared at Carina. This was the first time Carina wished she could cry, when she left Estelle's coven she was happy she couldn't cry. But the world was loosing Debbie and no one was there that could shed a tear for such a great loss. Debbie deserved to have someone able to cry over losing her. She deserved at least that much. Debbie, who had helped her so much and the one thing she asked for was to die. Carina left as soon as there was nothing left. Now Carina was in pain. She rocked faster and faster and faster, eventually loosing control.

Out of nowhere arms wrapped around her. She looked up shocked, and then buried her head into his shoulder.

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