flightless bird

Chapter 20 - New Moon

I looked around the space I was in. White. Everything was white. "Hello?" I called, my voice echoing. I heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Charlotte! "Charlotte! You're alive!" I exclaimed as I ran towards her. "What? No I'm not. I'm dead" said Charlotte as she looked at me, confusion all over her face. "Then where am I? What am I doing here if I'm alive?" I said as I scrunched my eyebrows. "Serena, you're not alive. You're dead. You died at the age of 97 years old. See?" said Charlotte as she pointed behind me. I turned and saw a mirror behind me. I approached it and a gasp left my lips as I looked at my appearance.

My skin was wrinkled like a scrunched up piece of paper, I had dark bags under my eyes and white wispy hair. "No! No! No way!" I said as I brought my hands up to my face. "Serena" I heard another voice say and I turned to see Edward walking towards me. "Edward" I said as he stopped in front of me. "This is your fault Edward!" I said as I pushed him. "Why couldn't you have changed me?! Then I would still be alive and young!" I exclaimed. "I just wanted you to live a healthy, normal human life" said Edward as he grabbed my wrinkled hands. "Now you can be with me forever" said Charlotte as she walked over. "Noooo!" I screamed.

"Serena wake up!" someone said as they shook me. I gasped as my eyes opened and I looked up to see my mom above me. I sprung out of bed and ran to my mirror immediately looking at my reflection. I let out a sigh of relief as I grabbed my young, unwrinkled face in my hands. "Are you alright mi amore? " said my mom as she looked at me. "Yeah. Just a bad dream" I replied.

"What about?" asked my mom. "It's a long story" I replied as I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm waiting" said my mom sassily and I chuckled. "Uhhh long story short, Edward doesn't want me turned into a vampire. He wants me to live a normal human life but I don't want that and ever since, I've had nightmares of me dying of old age" I replied.

"Seriously? Does he not realise that if he chooses not to turn you, I will turn you myself if that's what you want?" said my mom and I shrugged. "I mean I did tell him that but he's so freaking stubborn and still insists on me remaining human" I replied and my mom laughed. "You should get ready for school before you're late bebita" said my mom before she left my room.

On the drive to school, I couldn't shake the dream from my head. I reached my hand up and held the necklace Edward had gifted me for my birthday 2 weeks ago. It was two silver circles looped together, the words always & forever engraved on one of the circles. I arrived in the school parking lot and saw Edward hadn't arrived yet as I climbed out of my car.

"Serena-ballerina!" said Eric as I approached my friends and I chuckled as I gave him a confused look. "What?" I said and he shrugged. "Only thing I could think of" he replied and I giggled. "Did you manage to get your essay done?" said Angela from beside me and I nodded. "Yeah. I finished it up at like midnight last night" I replied.

"Oh look there's Bella" said Jess and I looked over my shoulder to see the old orange truck pulling into a bay. She climbed out of her truck before approaching us. "Today's the big day Bella. The R and J essay is due" said Jess. "Oh yeah" Bella replied sheepishly. "Where for art thou Bella?" Mike said in a weird accent and I giggled.

"Let me take a picture of you guys. My mom wants me to put together like a scrap book full of memories" said Bella as she pulled out a pink camera from her pocket. "Serena get over here" said Jess as she grabbed my arm tugging me beside her. "I take them I'm not in them" Angela protested. "You'll photo shop this if my nose looks big right?" said Jess as we all shuffled together.

"Don't worry, I'm in the picture. No one will be looking at you guys" said Eric. I gave a smile as Bella held up the camera. "That's good one" said Bella as she lowered her camera. "Oh good. Cullen's here" Mike said bluntly, a look of irritation on his face as everyone's eyes fell on Edwards black Volvo, Christopher in the passenger seat.

"Yay" said Eric in a sarcastic tone. "We'll talk to you later" said Jess before the four of them walked off. "Happy earth day" I said lowly to Bella and she turned to me, a confused look on her face. "What?" she said and I giggled. "You hate your birthday, so instead of celebrating your age, I'm celebrating the day you came on this earth" I replied and she chuckled.

"Thanks Serena" said Bella and I smiled. We turned our attention back to Edward and Christopher as they climbed out of the car and approached Bella and I. A small smile made its way onto Edwards face as he walked over to me. "Hey you" I said as he stopped in front of me, taking my hands into his. "Hi" Edward replied as he looked at me.

"I see your friends are happy to see me" said Edward and I gave a chuckle. "Yeah totally" I replied before Edward smirked. He leaned down, his lips hovering above mind before they connected. I felt myself go weak at the knees in this rare display of affection. I felt Edwards arms snake around my waist almost holding me up as I gripped his shirt in my hands.

Much to my disappointment, Edward pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. "We have to go to class" he murmured and I nodded. Edward and I held hands as we entered the school where students flooded the hall. We walked to our first class, English, together and entered the classroom.

Edward lead me to the back of the class and I sat down at the desk beside his as I placed my bag on the ground. After collecting our essays, our teacher began playing Romeo and Juliet. "What's with Bella and her dislike of her birthday?" Edward asked as we moved closer to each other. "I don't know. Something about her age and how she hates being celebrated" I replied.

"There are worse tragedies. Look at Romeo, killed his true love out of sheer stupidity" Edward replied and I smirked. "That's true" I replied as I traced shapes on Edwards hand with my finger. "But I do envy him on one thing" said Edward and I looked up at him. "What? Juliets perfection?" I queried and Edward shook his head as he scoffed.

"Not the girl, the suicide" he said and I scrunched my eyebrows. "It's nearly impossible for uh some...people. For humans, a little poison, a dagger to the heart. There's so many different options" said Edward and I felt a shiver go down my spine. "Why are you thinking about this sort of stuff?" I asked as I looked at him. "Cause I had to consider it once" Edward replied.

Memories of the night in the ballet studio instantly flashed through my mind and I gripped Edwards hand. "I didn't know if I'd get to you in time. I had to come up with some kind of...plan" said Edward. "What do you mean? You were going to kill yourself if...if I had died that night? W-What were you planning?" I said as I looked at him.

"Go to Italy, provoke the Volturi""The what?" I asked. "The Volturi-""Now, who'd like to repeat the last few lines of iambic pentameter just to show they were paying attention? Mr Cullen?" said our English teacher as he paused the movie. "Uh yes Mr Berty" Edward replied as he inhaled a deep breath. "O here, will I set up my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh. Eyes look your last. Arms take your last embrace. And lips, O you, the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss, a dateless bargain of engrossing death" Edward recited perfectly as the rest of the class gawked at him.

"Eyes on the screen people" snapped Mr Berty before he pressed play and the movie continued.