The Cullen house was bustling that morning, and Althea could sense a lightness in the air as she wandered through the halls. She had managed to avoid slipping up for a few weeks now, and Carlisle had expressed his pride in her progress, something she'd absorbed with a faint smile. But adjusting to this "vegetarian" lifestyle was still a daily struggle.Rosalie, naturally, kept her entertained, teaching her the finer points of sarcasm in response to Emmett's constant banter. Jasper, though still cautious, had started to ease around her. She could tell he no longer watched her every move with that fierce wariness, but rather with something else—curiosity, perhaps. Sometimes she'd catch him watching her with an expression that almost looked like amusement, as if he found her sharp replies to Emmett or her sarcasm with Rosalie oddly endearing.But it wasn't until she met Alice that Althea truly felt the fabric of her life with the Cullens shifting.
Althea had been in the Cullen house's library, absorbed in a novel, when she heard footsteps—light, almost dancing—and looked up to see a short, dark-haired vampire with a wide grin."You must be Althea!" she announced, her voice warm and bright. "I'm Alice."Althea raised an eyebrow, momentarily taken aback by the girl's energy. It was rare to find someone who exuded so much light, especially in their world. But as Alice skipped closer, Althea felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if Alice already knew her."I'm Althea," she replied, though she figured Alice already knew that.Alice's smile widened, as though they were old friends. "I've been waiting to meet you! I think we're going to be great friends."Althea blinked, caught off guard. "That's a little... forward, don't you think?"Alice laughed, unphased. "Oh, don't worry about it. I have a feeling about these things. Plus," she added, with a playful glint in her eye, "I can see the future. Not everything, just glimpses, but I already knew you'd be here, and that we'd get along."Althea raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You can see the future?"Alice nodded enthusiastically, as if discussing the weather. "Pretty handy when you live with people as impulsive as Emmett."Althea found herself chuckling despite herself. Alice's energy was infectious, and the skepticism she'd felt softened into a rare openness. "So... did you see anything about how long I'll last as a 'vegetarian'?" she asked, half-joking.Alice gave her an encouraging smile. "Long enough to make this your home. I know it seems strange, but trust me—this life has a way of growing on you. Even if it's hard at first."There was something in Alice's gaze that made Althea believe her, something calming and oddly reassuring.
She had never believed in things like destiny, but Alice's confidence made her wonder if, maybe, she had ended up here for a reason.
From that day on, Althea couldn't help but feel a connection with Alice that made her presence in the Cullen family a little less daunting. Alice took her under her wing, encouraging her, sharing tips on blending in with humans, and even dragging her on shopping trips with Rosalie, which Althea endured with a smirk and a sarcastic remark or two.Several months passed, and as winter faded into spring, Althea's presence in the Cullen family had become almost natural. She still had moments where the craving for human blood hit her hard, but she'd learned to handle it with a quiet strength, often finding herself joined by one of the Cullens in moments of struggle.
One morning, Carlisle gathered everyone in the living room, a thoughtful expression on his face. The family exchanged knowing glances, and Althea shifted uncomfortably, sensing she was the subject of their unspoken conversation."Althea," Carlisle began gently, "it's come to our attention that, to blend in here, you'll need to follow some of our... routines."She frowned, crossing her arms. "I don't like the sound of that."Emmett laughed. "Oh, trust me, you won't. But it's necessary if we're going to keep up the whole 'regular humans' act."Rosalie leaned closer to Althea, a mischievous smirk on her face. "He means high school."Althea's eyes widened, her expression turning to one of pure horror. "You're kidding. You actually go to high school?""Oh, it's torture," Rosalie replied dryly, rolling her eyes. "But it keeps suspicion off us. Small town, small minds—people get curious."Alice clapped her hands, clearly thrilled by the idea. "Oh, this will be fun! I can already picture it—you, Rosalie, and me, the fierce trio!"Althea groaned, looking over at Carlisle. "You're telling me I have to go back to high school. After living over a hundred years?"Carlisle nodded, his eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement. "Think of it as another survival skill. And you won't be alone. Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie will be there to help."At the mention of Jasper, Althea noticed him watching her from across the room, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He had been warming up to her over the past few weeks, often sharing small smiles or dry comments whenever Rosalie's sarcasm took center stage.
The wary Jasper from before seemed to have been replaced by someone who found her presence strangely amusing.
She sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. "Fine," she said, folding her arms, "but if I have to spend another decade in high school, I expect a very good excuse for why we're all ancient teenagers."Jasper, chuckling softly, shook his head. "You'll survive. Besides," he added, his voice laced with sarcasm, "I'm sure you'll have a blast listening to human teenagers' drama."Althea rolled her eyes. "If that's your idea of entertainment, I see why you're all so weird."The first day of school came quicker than Althea would have liked. Alice had picked out clothes for her—a blend of dark jeans and a leather jacket that fit her perfectly, though Althea suspected Alice had used her "gift" to pick an outfit that would be harder to refuse. As they pulled up to the school in the family's sleek car, Althea glanced over at Rosalie, who gave her a reassuring wink."Just remember," Rosalie said, smirking, "we're the mysterious, unapproachable ones. The humans will be too intimidated to talk to us if we keep to ourselves.""And if they do talk to us?" Althea asked.Rosalie laughed. "Then they're in for a treat."As they walked across the parking lot, Althea felt the curious stares of the students, whispering as the "new Cullen" joined the group. She stiffened, forcing herself to appear nonchalant, though it felt strange to be watched so closely.Jasper appeared at her side, glancing over with a rare smile. "Nervous?"Althea shrugged, trying to play it off. "Nervous isn't the word. It's more... annoyed."Jasper's smirk widened. "I thought you'd say that." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "But don't worry—I think you'll make it. And when it comes to snarky remarks, I'm starting to think you might give Rosalie a run for her money."She raised an eyebrow, unable to hide her smile. "Is that a compliment, Whitlock?""Just an observation, Ross," he replied, his tone teasing.
For the first time, she noticed the lightness in his gaze, the guardedness replaced by a warmth that caught her off-guard. They'd started as wary opponents, but now... now he almost seemed to enjoy her company. And though she wouldn't admit it out loud, she'd started to enjoy his, too.As they entered the building together, Althea took a steadying breath, her usual sarcasm tempered by a faint spark of excitement. Maybe, just maybe, there was a place for her here after all.
~
A/N and done with the next part, hope you like it and stay safe, leave a comment if you want <3
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Eclipsed Secrets
ParanormalAlthea Ross, a gorgeous woman who has lived long enough to know the world, but still she doesn't know who SHE truly is. What happened to her? Will she be able to hold her secret? While living on she encounters a family that will change everything...
