Darkest Light

Interference

I can feel my brow crease as I stare at Edward's pixie-like sister. She dances out of the trees and stops right in front of me. 

"Do you need some help?" she asks in a high tinkling voice. 

"I will be fine, I just needed to stop for a minute," I say in the most normal voice I can muster. 

"Your lying Mel. You can trust me you know," she says, watching me with sad eyes. 

"I don't mean any offense, but I really don't know you at all," I point out. 

"Not yet, but you will. I am Alice Cullen, Edward's sister," she says. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm," I begin but she cuts me off. 

"I know who you are. Your Melody Strong, but you go by Mel. We have Math and Science together," she says and her whole demeanor is so bubbly and kind that I can't help but like her. 

"Well, this has been fun, but I have to get home. I will see you at school tomorrow," I tell her. 

"Don't be silly, you are a mess. You cant walk into your house like that, you would start a panic. You are coming to my house to clean up," says Alice matter-of-factly and she leaves no room for argument. 

"Um, I really do need to get home," I say and it is the truth. I want to play with Sy for a little bit before I have to get him ready for bed. 

"It won't take long, I don't live far from here," says Alice and without waiting for an answer, she hops on the back of my bike. Though I am a little worried she will fall off, I am grateful that she doesn't grab my waist. Deciding she is probably right, I start the bike back up and follow the directions she shouts over the howling wind. Pretty soon, we pull to a stop outside a beautiful white house surrounded by towering oak trees. I can hear a stream rushing just out of sight and I have never been somewhere so peaceful. When I look back at the house, Edward is standing on the porch with a blank look on his face. 

"Come on in Mel," says Alice, sliding gracefully off the bike and dancing up the stairs. 

"Are you okay?" asks Edward as I struggle off the bike and try not to limp up the stairs. 

"I am fine, just stiff. I hit some wet pavement and fell off my bike," I lie with the ease of much practice. 

"Come on Mel," calls Alice from inside and, turning away from the skeptical looking Edward I stride inside.

I follow Alice through a huge, open living room up the stairs to the third floor where we walk into her bedroom. There is a large stereo in one corner and a high tech computer in another. Along the wall is a futon with a throw blanket on the back. Then I see her closet. It is bigger than my entire living room at home and stuffed with clothes. She disappears for a minute and returns with a pair of dark, designer jeans and a white cashmere v-neck sweater. This one outfit probably cost more than my entire summer wardrobe. 

I feel a bit uncomfortable changing while Alice sits at the computer and watches. She doesn't say anything about the light yellow bruises on my chest and shoulders, but I can sense her unease. I pull on the borrowed clothes as quickly as my throbbing body will allow, but I can tell Alice doesn't miss a thing. When I am done she points to the futon, obviously telling me to sit. 

"I know what happened Mel, where you got those bruises," she says quietly. 

"I fell off my bike, that's all. I should have been more careful," I shrug, but I can tell she doesn't believe me. 

"I was serious before. You really can trust me," she says and an overwhelming urge to tell her the truth floods through me. I try to squash it back and open my mouth to lie, but then, I decide why bother? She obviously knows what is going on and I am sick of lying.