Twilight

Chapter Ten

Rigan was none too happy when I told her what had happened when Edward found me, especially about the part where I admitted to her that I was in love with him.

"He's going to get us all killed." she had muttered before cutting off our telephone call.

Things got worse when I arrived at school with him, in his car. People stared in awe, shock, delight, and various other emotions. It was like the first day all over again!

I had to laugh. "You do know everyone is staring!" I hissed.

"No, not that guy, the one with the curls, he just looked," Edward answered. "And then of course there's Rigan giving us the Death Glare. I've decided to break every rule in the book, since I'm going to hell anyway!"

I laughed as he put one arm over my shoulders.

The whole day was awkward; people's eyes followed Edward and me around the whole day, and it made concentrating in class nearly impossible. What was worse was that the Cullens had not only started to give me evils but Edward as well. Edward and I sat at my usual table; only Rigan, Angela and Jessica were polite enough to talk with Edward.

Rigan especially surprised me, and Edward as well. She was perfectly civil to him and he returned the civil tone and attitude. He even offered her to join me and him on a trip to the lake after school, which she accepted out of politeness.

When we got to the lake, with Rigan keeping a slight distance, I asked Edward a question I really wanted to know the answer to. "Does someone have to be dying, to become like you?"

"No, that's just Carlisle," Edward replied. "He would never bite anyone unless he had no choice."

"How long have you been one?" Rigan asked.

"Since 1918," Edward answered. "I was dying of the Spanish influenza. My parents had already been taken; first my father, then my mother. Carlisle treated them both; he made a vow to my mother to keep me alive using whatever means necessary, including turning me into a vampire."

"What was it like?" I whispered.

"The venom was extruciatingly painful, but what Carlisle did was much harder. Not many of us have the strength to do what he managed to do, and it took him centuries to perfect it."

"But its just one bite," I said, confused.

"Bella, there's something in Vampireology I forgot to mention," Rigan said. "When a vampire of any Category taste human blood or Mordain blood, a kind of frenzy known as bloodlust begins. It's almost impossible to contain. However, they can sustain it by hunting animals but many choose not to as animal blood does not give as much strength as human blood."

"Carlisle managed it," I pointed out.

"First with me and then his wife, Esme," Edward said. "He had found her all but dead in a hospital after she fell off a cliff. No one knew how she managed to survive such a fall."

"He's the reason why you don't kill people," Rigan guessed.

"No, not the only reason," Edward disagreed. "I don't want to be a monster." He then looked at Rigan, as if studying her. "You have his eyes," he said. "Those of when he was mortal, at least."

Rigan looked away and Edward looked slightly ashamed but then he turned to me grinning. "Our family has this little joke; we call ourselves 'vegetarians' because we only live on animal blood. It wouldn't be like drinking Mordain blood for instance!"

"Say that again and I'll catapult you into the lake," Rigan warned.

I ignored her. "Edward, can the rest of your family read minds too?"