To Love or To Destroy [TWILIGHT]

Heartbreak

I felt like time stopped at Alice's words. Everything around me seemed to flow in slow motion. I could hear Alice trying to talk to me but all I heard was an incessant ringing. It couldn't be. This was impossible. I had suspected Riley might've become like one of us but—no one had heard or seen from him that I chalked it up to wishful thinking.

Under normal circumstances, I would've been overjoyed that Riley was alive. But to find out that he was the one causing this much destruction? That didn't even seem like the Riley I knew. All of this was too much. First me getting shot, then becoming a vampire—only to find out that Riley was part of some sadistic scheme? I couldn't recall exactly what happened but the last thing I remembered was me passing out—and Jasper catching me.

[Flashback]

Riley and I were about fifteen or sixteen.

We were in my ballet studio, I used to attend ballet lessons every time after school let out. I looked at myself in the floor-length mirror, practicing my pirouette. I couldn't seem to get it right. My frustration grew as I didn't land perfectly for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Selene! I knew you'd be here," a familiar voice sounded behind me. I turned to see my best friend Riley, holding out a lunch bag. In it was my absolute favorite food—pizza with extra pepperonis. "Here, eat some food and take a break," He said.

"I can't, I have to perfect my pirouette," I grumbled, running a hand through my ebony black hair.

"Cmon, you can take a little break, come eat with me, please?" Riley pretended to make puppy-dog eyes at me. I laughed at his silliness and eventually agreed, and sat with him on the hardwood floor.

"I think you're being way too harsh on yourself, you're already an amazing dancer," he had said.

I smiled at his attempt to comfort me. Riley always had my back whenever I felt discouraged or upset. "Thanks but Madame Bíanchi said my pirouette was sloppy. I need to practice more if I'm going to even have a chance at performing in the recital," I said as I took a bite of the pizza.

"Well I don't know about her, but I know you. You'd fail for the first few times but you're absolutely relentless. I'm sure you'd succeed. I could already picture you dancing front and center in that recital. Hey, your costume is going to be red right? You'd look so beautiful with red hair. I can already imagine it," Riley said with a teasing smile.

I laughed, "Red hair? Really? That's awfully random."

"I mean you'd look good with any color, Selene," Riley said, his face turning more serious now.

I tried hiding the creeping blush that slowly made its away across my face. Riley cleared his throat and looked away. "Anyways, keep practicing, I'll always be here to cheer you on. Always."

I looked back at my best friend, his dark blonde hair gleaming under the studio lights. "Promise?" I held my pinky out for him to shake.

"Promise," he smiled.

[Present time]

I woke up, once again laying on my bed. Gosh this was really giving me deja vu of when I first got turned.

I groaned, sitting up as I tried recalling what happened. The memories came flooding back and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I really needed to feed. I needed something to take my mind off things.