A/N: Sorry ;( Sorry times a thousand times and then some.

I ve been really busy with school and my work this past month, so I haven t had the time to write :( But since it s been such a long time, I thought I would write an extra long chapter :D Thank you vampirelover27 for reviewing! I appreciate it ;D Chapter 7: An angel among monsters I stared at Caroline, mesmerized by her incredible story, and then with shaky hands took the floating teacup in front of me, drinking the tea slowly. The hot cont ent slowly slicked down my throat as I drank, but I couldn t taste it. All of the Cullen s stared at Caroline, some of them looking clearly astonished while others looked vaguely impressed, and then Emmett, who was frowning with a confused expression paint ed on his face, spoke. But why is the girl with you? Did you keep her to eat? He asked rather rudely and Rose, his mate, elbowed him in his side. He made a small noise when her hard elbow hit his chest; the sound of it echoing through the quiet room , but his eyes stared at me consistently, still waiting for an answer. I shivered at the thoughts that entered my mind, and I knew that Caroline felt how I tensed up beside her. Caroline smiled sweetly towards him, but her eyes were as cold as ice. She stared at him with her menacing expression and after 10 long seconds of silence, she spoke in a low tone. Apologize. Her tone was no louder than a whisper, but the effect it brought was more productive than any scream ever would be. He straightened up in his seat, the large muscles underneath his clothes tensing uncomfortably, and then suddenly rose. He locked his eyes with mine, and then he bowed. I apologize for my rudeness, Miss. I hope you ll forgive me. Emmett said in his most polite voice he could manage, and I widened my eyes as I saw everything happening before me. P-please, rise! I am not offended by your question at all! I said, flustered by the sudden change in attention, and then turned to Caroline and grabbed her hand. Caroline, he did not mean any harm! Slowly, Caroline turned towards me, and as her butterscotch eyes locked with mine, I saw how she slowly started to calm down, her hard gaze softening within seconds. Her stiff smile on her lips turned genuine, and she softly stroked the back o f my hand. Alright, if that s what you want Bella. She turned her head towards Emmett, who was staring back at her with confused and puzzled eyes. I am sorry for my outburst, but I would prefer if you did not speak ill of my dear Bella. She is not someone s meal; she s family. The Cullen s all took one short look at me before turni ng back to Caroline, and Rosalie was the first one to dare to open her mouth. When you say family do you mean like your daughter? She carefully asked, ignoring when Edward shot her a glare from across the room. I froze in my seat, shocked by the question, but then it hit me; what was I to her? Why did she decide to take care of me when my parents died? There surely must ve been hundreds of orphans in the orphanage in th e town:

why did she pick me? And was I like a daughter to her? I ve always thought we were of the same age Caroline stared at her dumbfounded for a few seconds and then she burst into laughter. I am sorry it s just its just such an odd question for me. She smiled at me and shook her head. I never saw Bella as my daughter and I never will. She s more of a sister to me than anything else. She dropped her gaze and concentrated on our entwined hands in her lap. Bella grew up with me. Since her mother and father were both dear employees of mine and lived in one of the guestrooms in the mansion, I got to see Bella almost every day. I saw her changing day after day, growing into a beautiful young woman, and there was something about her that was different from all the other humans I had met; It made me want to protect her. She was like the little sister I never had. Caroline explained, her eyes avoiding mine like she was ashamed admitting it. Rosalie stared at her with a confused look, obviously not believing Caroline s reason to stay devoted to me was because I was like a sister to her andthen gave me a short, disapproving look. I looked down at my lap and breathed deeply in relief. Of course, I saw Caroline as a sister too; I always had. But just the thoug ht of having Miss Caroline as my mother let s just say that I am the most responsible one of the two of us. Caroline brought her cold hand to my back and stroked it softly, and as I looked up to meet her eyes, I saw the worry that lingered in them. Are you alright Bella? Perhaps this is enough for today. Caroline said, a slight frown starting to pucker on her face. The sudden turn of attention to me made me blush, and I immediately shook my head. No, no! I am absolutely fine! Please don t worry about me, Miss. I said raising my hands in protest, but she just raised her eyebrow at me with a skeptic look. Really, do you have to leave now? Alice pleaded helplessly, like she knew she was about to loose the argument anyways, and fixated her eyes onto min e. I hesitated answering,not wanting to argument against Caroline about leaving nor turn Alice down when she had treated us so kindly, but all I managed was to take in a breath of air when Caroline beat me to it and spoke all so gracefully. We do. But th ank you for your hospitality Alice; it has been the most appreciated. Caroline smiled sweetly and in one swift motion she stood up, dragging me with her in the process. All of the Cullen s rose as well, and as we started to walk towards the door, Carlisle walked ahead to talk to Caroline, thanking her for joining them this evening and so on. I started to walk as well, falling behind the others since my awkward, clumsy wa y of walking (at least compared to the graceful and elegant strides the others took) made me slower. I grimaced as the others came further and further away from me, and then sighed in relief. I had made it. I had successfully made it through the whole tea party without embarrassing

myself to the extent of dying (although I had embarrassed myself a few times, that I must admit). Is something the matter? A silky smooth and soft voice suddenly asked behind me, the surprise making my heart skip a beat in alarm. I swirled around to face the one who had spoken and my eyes met his gaze almost in an instant. Edward smiled at my stunned face and I blushed furiously. Well, now the theory of not being embarrassed to the exten t of dying goes down the drain, I thought depressingly. I took a few breaths so my jumpy heart could calm down, and then responded him quite breathlessly. You gave me quite a scare! I didn t hear that you were behind me. I apologize if I caused you much fright. He said, but his small smirk in the end of his mouth that he obviously tried to hide told me otherwise. I m not that used to socializing with humans so I forgot your hearing senses are much duller than ours. I figured you already knew I was walking behind you but I guess I was wrong. The voices of the others had slowly started to fade away as they rounded the corner of the corridor, leaving us completely alone with each other. I looked down at my feet and blushed once again, feeling like the stupidest person on the entire planet . He had walked behind me this entire time and I hadn t noticed? I shook my head, and then mustered m y courage to look into his eyes and speak the words that had been stuck on my tongue this entire day. I I just really want to thank you for what you did to me the other day. Properly, that is. I understand it must ve been hard for you, but the fact that you saved me without causing me any harm made me well, it made me extremely grateful. Miss Swan- he began, but I swiftly interrupted him. Please, call me Bella. He smiled his beautiful angelic smile, which made me wonder for a few short seconds why anyone at all would even consider vampires to be the spawn of the devil , but the image of the attack reentered my mind and I immediately regretted my thoughts. They may not all be that bad, but there are some of them that deserve the title monster . Bella, he began softly, and without warning, he slowly brought up his hand towards m y face and then gently stroked my hair. My heart skipped a beat in surprise, and I saw something in his eyes; was it chagrin? What I did to you did cause you pain. He said and I felt how his fingers found the swelling from when my head had hit the deck floor. I frowned at him and breathed o ut in slight anger. Mr. Cullen- I began, but almost as a joke, he interrupted me with some amusement in his eyes. Please, call me Edward. He said softly, but the smile that appeared on his pale lips didn t quite reach his eyes.

I took a deep breath before continuing, trying to calm myself. Edward. What you did to me was saving my life! If you hadn t saved me at that moment, I would ve probably been caused a thousand times more pain, maybe even death! A bump on the head is nothing compared to that. He smiled without humor and then shook his head. Bella, you don t understand. If I had jostled you a bit more recklessly than I did last night I could ve broken your skull. And the feeling I had that night of almost losing my control, my sanity , to the temptation of your blood his eyes closed and I could feel his hand stiffening in my hair. He breathed deeply, slowly, like he was reliving it all over again, and when he opened his eyes again, I noticed how the color had darkened once more. I smiled at him despite the fear I felt crawling down my spine, and then I took his hand that he had rested upon my head and took it in my own ones and gave it a soft squeeze. I understand that you feel guilty and worried, but judging by the fact that you didn t break my skull last night nor have you tried to hurt me today, I d say that you ve succeeded with keeping me alive. He suddenly let out a small chuckle, and then looked at me strangely, like he didn t believe what I just had told him. Caroline s right; there s s urely something different about you He murmured, staring intently at me and the way he stared there was something in his eyes that I didn t recognize. Bella? Out of nowhere, a voice called behind me and I let out a small shriek in surprise , instantly dropping Edward s hand. Did they want to scare me to death? Why couldn t vampires interact with you without feeling the need of making you scream in terror? I turned around, and I was instantly met by Caroline s concerned gaze. Are you alright Bella? Did something happen? she asked, immediately scrutinizing me with her eyes to see if I had gotten any visible damage since the last time I d seen her. Wait a second, I ll just have to restart my heart. I said sarcastically and breathed deeply to calm down my erratic heart. These scares Caroline put me through really must be bad for my health You weren t with us others so I became worried when you didn t show. She explained, making a slight glance at Edward. I gave her a small reassuring smile and shook my head. It s okay, I just felt the need to thank Edward once again for saving me last night. I said and pointed at Edward, whose face had grown slightly stiffer by the arrival of Caroline. He nodded as Caroline s yellow eyes pierced into his, and after l ooking back and forth between the two of us, she took my arm and gave me a small smile. I m sorry Bella, but we have to go now if we want to be ready for tonight. I frowned at her questioningly. Be ready for what??

Caroline smiled a smile that was partly guilty partly sly and I felt myself getting slightly worried about what she was going to tell me next. What had she gotten us into now? I promised Alice that we would appear on tonight s ball. When she saw the horror that struck out on my face, her smile spread even more. But she shook her head reassuringly and took my hand in hers. Don t worry Bella, it won t be that bad. A little bit of dancing, a little bit of mingling The more she tried to console me, the more worried and terrified I felt, and she couldn t help to laugh at my horrorstruck expression. Bella, you worry too much. This will work out perfectly fine. Yeah perfectly fine...

*Later* This is completely unnecessary. I complained as we walked through the corridors, and felt how I began to feel a little bit sick (and it wasn t motion sickness). Stop acting silly, Bella. The way you re looking people will think were going to a funeral, not a ball. She scoffed, seeing my appalled face and I sighed. Well, it might not be a funeral, but the chance that I might dietonight is quite big. I m sorry Miss it s just you know how I feel about things like these. I said, and she turned to me and smiled gently. I do. But I did make a promise. Alice will be so cross with me if we don t show. She said, crushing my last remaining bit of hope and I sighed. After we had returned from the Cullen s residence, Caroline had rushed me into getting ready. After bathing, fixing my hair and makeup and eating a small set of meal, she tightened my corset (which this time actually was fastened reasonably tight) and then she showed me the dress. It was a long, white dress with pretty bead embroideries, and as I saw her packing up the dress, I gasped. Caroline, you can t expect me to wear that!? I had shrieked and she giggled. I don t. But Alice do. Alice, who had sent the dress had written a small, personal note inside the package that said. I know you will wear it and trust me; you will look gorgeous! So after making ourselves ready (although it probably just took 10 seconds for Caroline) we headed out. The sun had already gone down once we were on our way and somehow Caroline already knew the whole outline of the ship and all of its strange corridors and nooks unlike me, who hadn t seen anything of the ship apart from it s corridors, a small part of the outside deck and the Cullen s residence.

Here we are. Caroline said after a while, and ahead of us were a pair of large double doors guarded by two stern, buff-looking vampires who both looked incapable of smiling. Caroline, seeming to be oblivious to the two men, grabbed m y hand and skipped forward like a child, her green dress flowing flawlessly with her movements, and as we got closer to them, one of vampires took one step forward and then bowed courteously. Welcome, Miss Gray. You re expected. He spoke, rising from his bow and met her eyes. That s when I noticed it, the color of their eyes. Instead of the golden -yellow color I had gotten so familiar with, their irises were colored a dark shade of bloody red. I let out a small gasp in horror and just as I had, both of the men turned their eyes towards me, inspecting me with distrustful and skeptical eyes. Caroline noticed my sudden fear, and grabbed my hand in a soothing motion. Relax Bella. I guess I should warn you that some of the guests are indeed feeding on humans. Her confirmation of my fears made me stiffen in my movement. Feeding on humans I knew what she told me was true; she had told me about it once before, but then, it didn t seem so vivid. But now, seeing the evidence right in front of me it was scary. But I want you to remain calm. I won t let anyone har m you. She said, sincerity clouding her voice. But then, a small playful grin appeared on her pink lips. But I think it would be best if you stayed close to me the rest of the night, just to be on the safe side . Without waiting for my answer, Caroline proceeded to walk towards the two large double doors, and almost like a silent command, the men moved out of the way and the large doors opened swiftly by Caroline s will. As soon as the door s opened, music poured out and looking inside, you would think yo u were in a fairytale. The room was huge, gigantic even, and straight ahead, there was a big staircase that went to the other 2 levels that all overlooked the dance floor beneath them, surrounding it in a wide circle. Above all of the dancing guests, a beautiful chandelier hung, sparkling. At the top floor, hidden from the dancers eyes, the orchestra sat playing and everywhere in the room there were people dancing, laughing and drinking It looked so human , the way they acted. But if you looked close enoug h, you could see all small details that differed them from ordinary humans. The substance in those glasses weren t wine; it was blood. The stiffness and stillness in the way they stood, the cold pitch in their laughs and those red eyes that overlooked everything it all indicated the same thing. Caroline took my arm, and with her head held high, she gracefully entered the scene together with me. If I was nervous before, I was absolutely terrified now , and with shaky, deep breaths I went ahead and tried to m imic her elegance and class to at least make it look that I actually belonged there (which I didn t in the first place). As soon as we had made our way inside, all eyes turned to us (at l east it felt like it). Their crimson eyes inspected us, judged me and adored Caroline. It was like she was a long lost queen in their eyes; finally returning to their sight, and it didn t take long until the introductions started. One after another came up to us and then graciously introduced

themselves to Caroline, sometimes giving me a glance or an introduction as well, but they all demanded her attention, and she all gave them a polite and civil response. I see someone is popular as always. An amused, familiar voice spoke behind us, and Caroline laughed as she turned us around and met Alice s grinning face. Stop exaggerating, Alice. It has just been a long time since I ve made an appearance, that s all. She shrugged, but I could see in her joyful smile that she was enjoying it quite well. Out of nowhere (well, that s what it felt like to me) all of the other Cullen s appeared behind Alice, joining our little group, and it was obvious that our small assembly caused a lot of attention. I tried to ignore the piercing red eyes around us, and instead met a couple of soft, butterscotch ones instead. Edward gave me a small, polite smile as out eyes met, and almost automatically, I blushed and smiled back. So, when will I have my dance? Alice said, and since her eyes bore themselves into mine, I couldn t imagine that she meant anyone else but me. I don t know. I don t recall that I actually promised you a dance. I said, and Alice grinned slyly. No you didn t, but it s just a question of time. 1 dance from now or 20: it doesn t matter. All I know for a fact is that you will dance with me at least once tonight. She said, almost like a threat, and I felt that knot tying in my stomach once again. But Miss, I really can t- I began, trying to convince her that my dancing skills were as good as a drunken elephant, but she just interrupted me, her face alit with confidence. Yes you can, and you will. As I said; it s just a question of time. She said, and I knew that I had lost the argument. The defeat must ve shown on my face because the other Cullen s laughed softly, trying not to be rude by their obvious amusement over my defeat. Well, if Bella isn t going to steal you away yet, may I have this dance? Jasper asked, grinning widely as he grabbed one of Alice s small hands and planted a loving kiss on top of it. She let out a small, content giggle and then nodded. You may. That was all Jasper needed, and a second later both of them were swirling around the dance floor. Carlisle smiled and then looked at his lovely wife. Shall we follow their example, my dear? He asked, and Esme nodded. Together, he and Esme and Rosalie and Emmett all entered the dance floor, and left were Edward together with Caroline and I. Caroline smiled at Edward and then, with no warning, hugged m e to her side. I protested against her icy, steel hard grip, but when she didn t release, I knew she wouldn t let go until she wanted it herself.

So we meet again. Caroline said, smiling at Edward. I whish I could say I wasn t staring at him but I was. He had dressed very fashionably this evening, but that was nothing compared to now. His hair was as it had been before, styled in this quite messy yet still beautiful way and his eyes were brightly gold instead of the dark shade of yellow it had been in before. He bowed gracefully, making us courtesy in response and after the formalities he answered. Yes. I came since my sister refused to have it any other way. Huh Caroline huffed, sounding oddly distant, and then she grimaced. It seems that someone is demanding my attention. Edward, do me a favor and stay with Bella until I get back. Caroline released her hold of me, but before leavening us completely, she gave me a peck on the cheek and then grinned when she saw my stunned expression. I won t be long. Caroline disappeared through the crowd and soon, we were all alone among the mass of people. I could feel their stares, looking at me now that my guardian had gone away for the moment, wondering if I was an easy pray. Edward seemed to notice it too, a nd without a word, he offered his arm for me. I took it gratefully; hoping any of the vampires wouldn t try anything now that they saw that I wasn t completely alone. Thanks again. I murmured quietly as we had started walking, figuring from our last conversation about human hearing that he would hear what I said, and as I thought, he had. There is no trouble. Some of these people s thoughts are just vulgar. He explained, and I instantly remembered his gift so to speak and how I was his only exception to it. But you can t hear what I think? I asked, the question making me sound almost worried about it. Edward turned his head to look at me, like he was surprised I knew something like this, and then he shook his head. No, not at all. He sounded disappointed as he answered, his brows burrowed together and I guess it bothered him that he had a flaw with his gift, a mystery he couldn t solve. So humor me, he continued. What are you thinking? Well, I began. I don t know. I m thinking that this, I said, motioned around me. Is a little bit scary. All of it in fact. But I m also thinking that I m grateful to have you by my side at the moment. I blushed as I had spoken and cursed within my head. How could I have said something as embarrassing as that?! Edward frowned, my thoughts apparently bothering him, and he shook his head. I don t understand how I have gained your trust so easily. I am just like every one else in here, a monster that survives by prying on others. What makes you think I am so different from all of the others? How do you know that you can actually trust me? He asked as he stared intently at me like I was a puzzle impossible to solve. We had now stopped, and I thought about it for a moment. What made him so different from the othe rs? I did trust him but why? I hardly trusted any other vampire in this room except the Cullen s and Caroline.

I shrugged casually and looked at the dancing couples on the dance floor, avoiding his intense stare. I don t know. I guess well, you ve had t he opportunity to hurt me countless of times but as far as I see it, I m still alive. I believe that deserves some trust. I said, and smiled to myself. I heard how he breathed to speak but instead of speaking, he tensed. I looked up, and I saw how his eyes were distantly looking across the dance floor as well, looking but not really seeing. What s wrong? Are you hearing something? I asked, suddenly becoming afraid that something had happened. Edward instantly looked back at me but his lips were painted with a reassuring smile. It s my sister. She s coming to get you for her dance. He said, grinning. My eyes widened by his words, and I groaned weakly. Couldn t she had wished for another partner that doesn t have two left feet when it comes to dancing? I said, and Edward laughed. No, because then it wouldn t have been you, silly! Alice said giggling, suddenly appearing in front of me. Jasper was standing behind her , regarding the whole scene with amused eyes and a grin on his lips. Come on now Bella, let s dance! Alice took my hand in hers, but I didn t move my feet. If I were going to dance, she would have to drag me there kicking and screaming. But suddenly, without any warning, my feet began to move on their own accord. I gasped, shocked and mesmerized by the odd feeling of not having any control over my own body and then looked questioningly at Alice, who had taken my hand in hers and then rested her hand on my waist. What s going on?! I asked as we started to waltz around the floor, our movem ents both graceful and correct as she led me through the sea of dancers. She giggled slyly and then looked away from my eyes with guilt. I may or may not have asked Caroline to guide you a little if you were completely resistant to the idea of dancing with me tonight. My eyes widened, and I instantly began to search for her in the crowd. It didn t take long for me to find her. She was standing next to Edward and Jasper who now had been joined by the rest of the Cullen, and now all of them were watching us with laughter. I gave Caroline a meaningful look, hoping it said something in the meaning of you will regret this later , but she just ignored me, grinning evilly. Instead, without any wa rning, Alice dipped me down, my body completely ready for the movement, and then we once again began to spin around the dance floor. Are you enjoying yourself? I asked Alice, who was smiling brightly towards me. She was like a child compared to me, both mentally and physically and as soon as I had asked my question she laughed, the sound clear as a bell, and then nodded. Yes, I am.

Luckily, Caroline had some mercy for me, and as the song drifted towards an end, so did our dance. As soon as I felt I had control over my own legs, I said a swift goodbye to Alice and then escaped through the crowd. I knew that I was going the wrong way if I wanted to head towards Caroline, but the humiliation she had put me through and well torture is probably not the right word but it sure felt like it, I didn t really feel like seeing her smug face for the moment. When I thought I had put a reasonable distance between us, I started to slow down in my steps and then proceeded to walk in a slower speed. As my anger had cooled, I realized that this hadn t been the best plan. The vampires regarded me curiously, some of them probably considering walking over to me since I was the human Caroline Gray had taken care of. I felt fear crawling down my spine, fear I had forgotten wh en I had been together with my friends, and the more I thought about my choice, the more stupid I felt. Miss Swan- I mean, Bella! What a surprise! I heard from my left, and once I turned, I saw the familiar face of the human servant boy that had served me my breakfast this morning: Mike. Mike! What are you doing here? I asked just seconds before I spotted the tray he was holding. Working, as always. He said, looking a little bit embarrassed by the fact. But as soon as he saw my pitying look, his eyes widened in horror. But of course I get days o ff too! And working isn t that bad, especially when I get to meet you. He said, and he blushed again. Well, it was nice to meet you too. I said sincerely, smiling gratefully at him. He might be a little bit odd, but his company did put me at ease somewhat, at least now. He suddenly seemed to remember that he was holding a tray and then politely showed it to me. Would you like something to drink? There were two sorts of glasses standing on the tray. There was one were the liquid was dark red and squishy (well, I could only guess what that was) and there was one with a golden bubbly liquid. Mike seemed to see my puzzled look and laughed nervously. I m sorry this is he trailed off, pointing at the red glasses. Well, for our other kinds of guests, if you know what I mean. He said, trailing off in a nervous laugh. I nodded, don t wanting him to explain any furth er. And this is champagne. He said, pointing at the other glasses. I looked at the bubbly liquid and grimaced. The last time I accidently drank some alcohol, I blacked out on the spot. Caroline had brought me back to my room but it had taken me 3 hours to regain consciousness again. I shook my head, and smiled politely. Thank you for your offer, but I think it would be best for me to decline. Oh, alright then. Mike grinned, and then moved away the tray from me. So but trailed off. he began,

Yes? I prompted, confused about what he wanted to ask me. I was wondering if you would like to - he began to ask, but suddenly got cut off, mid sentence. He was staring wide eyed at something behind me, and as turned around, I had to admit that I was quite surprised to find Edward standing there. There you are, I ve been looking all over for you. He said, and then took my hand, starting to lead me away from Mike and his tray. Mike watched dumbfounded as we left through the crowd, and I frowned at Edward. What was that for? I asked, thinking it was rude and uncaring to leave behind Mike like that without a proper explanation. Edward grinned, although it seemed sort of strained, and then shook his head. Just trust me with this, alright? He led me through the crowded room, his hand holding mine firmly, and suddenly without warning, the two of us swirled out on the dance floor together with the other couples. Since Caroline had no part in this, I was all on my own when it came to the dancing, and as Edward gracefully strode forward,I was nowhere close to his elegance. I could tell he was downplaying his dancing skills so I would have any ch ance at all to keep up with him, but it still wasn t enough for me. Why are we dancing? I asked him confused and slightly terrified as I stared intensely at my feet, trying to remember the steps for the dance we were dancing. I had humiliated myself enough for one day, dancingwouldn t make that better, only worse. So a certain boy who is watching you will get his mind on something else. Someone with thoughts like his doesn t deserve to be in the presence of an angel like you. Edward answered simply, giving me a meaning look and then effortlessly led us so could I catch a glimpse of Mike, who was standing amongst the crowd, looking towards us with yearning eyes. I blushed at the compliment he had giving me, feeling nothing like an angel for the moment, but I then realized that he had insulted Mike by doing it and the flattered feeling in the pit of my stomach disappeared within seconds. What do you mean? Mr. Newton isn t all that bad. I said, s uddenly defending my odd friend. I didn t really know Mike as a person, but I didn t like that Edward was treating him with so little respect. Edward looked at me with thoughtful eyes, and then grinned. Well, that may be true or not, but that wasn t what I meant. I was more concerned about your feet being stomped on. He was thinking about asking you to dance, but his head was filled with worry about stepping on your feet . His other dancing experiences had apparently not been that successful. Edward explained. Oh poor Mike. He was probably as horrible at dancing as I but considering how bad of a dancer I am, this seemed to be going quite well.

Just as those thoughts had entered my mind, I clumsily made the wrong move and in result I accidently stomped Edward on his foot. All right, scratch my previous thought; this was going horrible. I am so sorry, are you all right? I asked him as we had stopped our swirling dance, and Edward smiled crookedly. Lucky for me, my feet aren t as fragile as Mr. Newton. Perhaps this was best for the both of you. He said, teasing me. I blushed, feeling like an utter and complete fool, and then shook my head. Yeah, maybe you re right. I sighed, and he smiled reassuringly. Then, without warning, he suddenly lifted me so I was standing on top of his feet and with no trouble he continued our dance. Please let me down Mr. Cullen , this is embarrassing! I begged, afraid I would lose my balance and fall backwards in any minute. Edward didn t seem to notice any fault with his new solution, and smiled. Just hold on to me tightly and it will be alright. He reassured me, hugging me tighter to his chest. At first, I wasn t that into the idea. But since I didn t want to fall and make a fool out of myself, I did as he had suggested and hugged myself closer to his chest. As we spun around the other couples, my gaze went towards the crowd. For a second, I thought I spotted Caroline. Her eyes had stared at us angrily, almost murderously, and the way they followed us gave me the chills. But before I could get a better look, Edward had spun me around again, making me loose sight of her. I tried to look for her again, searchin g the spot I had seen her with my gaze as it came into my view, but the place was empty, making me believe that my eyes were playing tricks on me. To tell the truth, I didn t want the dance to end. Edward s smooth, effortless movements that spun us around the dance floor was soothing in a way, and I had to admit, I liked resting my head on his chest, feeling his strong arms on my back. My heart was beating excitedly the whole time and even though I wasn t moving, I became breathless. But of course, every dance must end at some point, and as the long yet wonderful song drifted to its end, I felt how Edward started to slow down. I stepped down from his two feet (which I hoped didn t ache despite of what he said) and then reluctantly removed my arms from his neck where they had been resting the entire dance. Thank you for the dance. It was surprisingly enjoyable. I told him, admitting for the first time in my entire life that dancing was fun. Edward grinned, sending my heart on a hammering escapade, and then gave me a small nod. It was my pleasure. He said softly, his golden eyes smoldering in the darkness of the room, and I felt, for some odd reason, my cheeks burning hot. Air, I suddenly thought. I need some air. The rooms air supply suddenly didn t feel like it was enough, and I gave Edward a small smile and then shook my head.

This was really pleasant, but I have to go for a sho rt breath of air. I will be back. Without waiting for him to answer, I turned around and began to push through the crowd towar ds one of the doors I had seen before. It didn t take long for me to get there, and once I had exited, my surrounding got eerily quiet. All of the laughter, talking and music disappeared as I closed the door behind me, and suddenly I was standing in a dead quiet corridor. I sighed, the silence soothing my feverish mood, and then I started to walk ahead, hoping to find some kind of exit that would lead me outside to the chilly night air. Images repeatedly entered my head as I walked, images of the dance Edward and I had danced (which hardly helped me to calm down) and I felt how my cheeks got fiery hot. It was so so different from anything I ever had experienced before. Usually when I dance d (actually, always) it was because Caroline wanted me to and forced me to join her, but this time it felt like only him and I existed in this entire world. As I had wandered for some time, I began to feel more and more uncertain. I never seemed to get somewhere, and it just felt like I was going around in ci rcles. I sighed, feeling helpless and stupid because of my lack in direction sense, and as I was just about to turn around, I heard a noise ahead. It was some sort of scrambling noise, just like it used to sound when Martha, our chef at home, scrambled around looking for different pots and frying pans. I cautiously continued forward, a little bit afraid of what might be there. As I came closer to the corner of the hallway, the scrambling noise stopped, and instead of utter silence, a deep and troubled sigh was heard. I stopped once I had reached the corner and thereI listened. Muttering sounds were heard and what I could conclude from that was that it was a male person. If it was a vampire or a human I had no idea, but judging by the profanity he continually spat out, he was mad. Taking a deep breath, mustering my courage, I decided to take a chance. If this pe rson was friendly enough, he might be able to help me back. I set off around the corner with my heart in my throat, having no idea if I was going to survive, but instead of getting around the corner I bumped right into someone s chest. I flew backwards by the power of our sudden encounter, but before I could hit the ground, a warm hand found its way around my waist and pulled me back up , releasing me once I was up straight. I opened my eyes, which both had closed by the sudden shock, and found myself staring into a pair of deep brown, almost black eyes. Are you alright? he asked, frowning at me, and it took me a few seconds too long to respond. Y-y-yes I stammered shocked, and stared at the man. He was young, perhaps even younger than me, and his skin wasn t ice pale like any vampire onboard but instead russet brown. Silently, I sighed in relief. He wasn t a vampire; that was for sure (I mean, how often do you find a tanned vampire?). His hair was dark and rather short, and instead of wearing fancy clothing like Edward or Mike had, he was wearing a humble , rather dirty white shirt with the arms rolled up to his elbows and black pants. He looked more like a kitchen boy than anything else.

You you re not like the others. You re human. He said as his eyes studied me carefully. My eyes widened in surprise by his rather odd choice of words, and then frowned. I m sorry what? What s your name? he asked, and I felt baffled. How could you expect me to tell you my name? I don t even know who you are! It would only be fair if you told me yours as well. I concluded, determined not to share any information about myself until I found out more about this man. But to my surprise, he started to chuckle. I m sorry; my manners aren t my best quality. I m practically raised by wolves. He snickered, and then bowed respectfully. My name is Jacob Black and I am a servant onboard this ship. How may I help you? Playlist: Monster Paramore