meeting her gaze as if I were staring deeply into her depthless； small brown eyes。 Her thoughts were already in a flutter。 This should be simple。 I was wondering if you could help me with my schedule； I said in the soft voice I reserved for not scaring humans。 I heard the tempo of her heart increase。 Of course； Edward。 How can I help？ Too young； too young； she chanted to herself。 Wrong； of course。 I was older than her grandfather。 But according to my driver s license； she was right。 I was wondering if I could move from my biology class to a senior level science？ Physics； perhaps？ It there a problem with Mr。 Banner； Edward？ Not at all； it s just that I ve already studied this material In that accelerated school you all went to in Alaska； right。 pursed as she considered this。 They should all be in college。 teachers plain。 Her thin lips I ve heard the Perfect four point ohs； never a hesitation with a response； never a wrong answer on a test like they ve found some way to cheat in every subject。 Mr。 Varner would rather believe that anyone was cheating than think a student was smarter than him I ll bet their mother tutors them Actually； Edward； physics is pretty much full right now。 Mr。 Banner hates to have more than twentyfive students in a class I wouldn t be any trouble。 Of course not。 Not a perfect Cullen。 aren t enough seats as it is I know that； Edward。 But there just Could I drop the class； then？ I could use the period for independent study。 Drop biology？ He mouth fell open。 That s crazy。 How hard is it to sit through a subject you already know？ There must be a problem with Mr。 Banner。 I wonder if I should talk to Bob about it？ You won t have enough credits to graduate。
I ll catch up next year。 Maybe you should talk to your parents about that。 The door opened behind me； but who ever it was did not think of me； so I ignored the arrival and concentrated on Mrs。 Cope。 I leaned slightly closer； and held my eyes a little wider。 This would work better if they were gold instead of black。 The blackness frightened people； as it should。 Please； Mrs。 Cope？ I made my voice as smooth and pelling as it could be and it could be considerably pelling。 Isn t there some other section I could switch to？ I m sure there has to be an open slot somewhere？ Sixth hour biology can t be the only option I smiled at her； careful not to flash my teeth so widely that it would scare her； letting the expression soften my face。 Her heart drummed faster。 Too young； she reminded herself frantically。 maybe I could talk to Bob I mean Mr。 Banner。 I could see if Well； A second was all it took to change everything： the atmosphere in the room； my mission here； the reason I leaned toward the redhaired woman What had been for one purpose before was now for another。 A second was all it took for Samantha Wells to open the door and place a signed tardy slip in the basket by the door； and hurry out again； in a rush to be away from school。 A second was all it took for the sudden gust of wind through the open door to crash into me。 A second was all it took for me to realize why that first person through the door had not interrupted me with her thoughts。 I turned； though I did not need to make sure。 control the muscles that rebelled against me。 I turned slowly； fighting to Bella Swan stood with her back pressed to the wall beside the door； a piece of paper clutched in her hands。 Her eyes were even wider than usual as she took in my ferocious； inhuman glare。 The smell of her blood saturated every particle of air in the tiny； hot room。 My throat burst into flames。 The monster glared back at me from the mirror of her eyes again； a mask of evil。 My hand hesitated in the air above the counter。 I would not have to look back in order to reach across it and slam Mrs。 Cope s head into her desk with enough force to kill her。 Two lives； rather than twenty。 A trade。 The monster waited anxiously； hungrily； for me to do it。 But there was always a choice there had to be。 I cut off the motion of my lungs； and fixed Carlisle s face in front of my eyes。 I turned back to face Mrs。 Cope； and heard her internal surprise at the change in my expression。 She shrank away from me； but her fear did not form into coherent words。 Using all the control I d mastered in my decades of selfdenial； I made my voice even and smooth。 There was just enough air left in my lungs to speak once more； rushing through the words。 Nevermind； then。 I can see that it s impossible。 Thank you so much for your
help。 I spun and launched myself from the room； trying not to feel the warmblooded heat of the girl s body as I passed within inches of it。 I didn t stop until I was in my car； moving too fast the entire way there。 Most of the humans had cleared out already； so there weren t a lot of witnesses。 I heard a sophomore； D。J。 Garrett； notice； and then disregard Where did Cullen e from it was like he just came out of thin air with the imagination again。 Mom always says There I go； When I slid into my Volvo； the others were already there。 I tried to control my breathing； but I was gasping at the fresh air like I d been suffocated。 Edward？ Alice asked； alarm in her voice。 I just shook my head at her。 What the hell happened to you？ Emmett demanded； distracted； for the moment； from the fact that Jasper was not in the mood for his rematch。 Instead of answering； I threw the car into reverse。 I had to get out of this lot before Bella Swan could follow me here； too。 My own person demon； haunting me I swung the car around and accelerated。 I hit forty before I was on the road。 On the road； I hit seventy before I made the corner。 Without looking； I knew that Emmett； Rosalie and Jasper had all turned to stare at Alice。 She shrugged。 She couldn t see what had passed； only what was ing。 She looked ahead for me now。 were both surprised。 We both processed what she saw in her head； and we You re leaving？ she whispered。 The others stared at me now。 Am I？ I hissed through my teeth。 She saw it then； as my resolve wavered and another choice spun my future in a darker direction。 Oh。 Bella Swan； dead。 My eyes； glowing crimson with fresh blood。 The search that would follow。 The careful time we would wait before it was safe for us to pull out and start again Oh； she said again。 The picture grew more specific。 I saw the inside of Chief Swan s house for the first time； saw Bella in a small kitchen with the yellow cupboards； her back to me as I stalked her from the shadows let the scent pull me toward her Stop！ I groaned； not able to bear more。 Sorry； she whispered； her eyes wide。 The monster rejoiced。
And the vision in her head shifted again。 An empty highway at night； the trees beside it coated in snow； flashing by at almost two hundred miles per hour。 I ll miss you； she said。 No matter how short a time you re gone。 Emmett and Rosalie exchanged an apprehensive glance。 We were almost to the turn off onto the long drive that led to our home。 Drop us here； Alice instructed。 You should tell Carlisle yourself。 I nodded； and the car squealed to a sudden stop。 Emmett； Rosalie and Jasper got out in silence； they would make Alice explain when I was gone。 Alice touched my shoulder。 You will do the right thing； she murmured。 Not a vision this time an order。 She s Charlie Swan s only family。 It would kill him； too。 Yes； I said； agreeing only with the last part。 She slid out to join the others； her eyebrows pulling together in anxiety。 melted into woods； out of sight before I could turn the car around。 They I accelerated back toward town； and I knew the visions in Alice s head would be flashing from dark to bright like a strobe light。 As I sped back to Forks doing niy； I wasn t sure where I was going。 To say goodbye to my father？ Or to embrace the monster inside me？ The road flew away beneath my tires。
2。 Open Book I leaned back against the soft snow bank； letting the dry powder reshape itself around my weight。 My skin had cooled to match the air around me； and the tiny pieces of ice felt like velvet under my skin。 The sky above me was clear； brilliant with stars； glowing blue in some places； yellow in others。 The stars created majestic； swirling shapes against the black universe an awesome sight。 Exquisitely beautiful。 Or rather； it should have been exquisite。 Would have been； if I d been able to really see it。 It wasn t getting any better。 Six days had passed； six days I d hidden here in the empty Denali wilderness； but I was no closer to freedom than I had been since the first moment that I d caught her scent。 When I stared up at the jeweled sky； it was as if there were an obstruction between my eyes and their beauty。 The obstruction was a face； just an unremarkable human face； but I couldn t quite seem to banish it from my mind。 I heard the approaching thoughts before I heard the footsteps that acpanied them。 The sound of movement was only a faint whisper against the powder。 I was not surprised that Tanya had followed me here。 I knew she d been mulling over this ing conversation for the last few days； putting it off until she was sure of exactly what she wanted to say。 She sprang into sight about sixty yards away； leaping onto the tip of an outcropping of black rock and balancing there on the balls of her bare feet。 Tanya s skin was silver in the starlight；