𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒- 𝐄𝐌. 𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 (ON HOLD)

𝐨𝐧𝐞

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

THE EBONY-HAIRED GIRL FLOWED DOWN THE STREET, pushing the bike pedals as her hair waved behind her. A small smile rested on her lips as she looks towards the fluffy clouds that glide through the sky. The rising sun warms her skin as she went, watching the world wake up. She rode in the middle of the empty street, following the yellow dotted line. 

She gathered a wrapped newspaper, throwing it on the driveway of a passing house. Continuing her route, the papers in her basket slowly dwindled. This job was an easy find, and even easier to secure. Her employer had never had someone as fast as her, quick to learn and memorize a route. Quicker to complete deliveries than the average person. 

She stopped at a house with a mother and two kids getting ready to leave. She pulled over to the side, handing the paper to the woman with a friendly smile. This was a close-knit family she knew well. The older child waves at her, a toothy smile on her face.

"Hi, EJ! Did you bring me my funnies?" She said her usual greeting with a slight lisp. The funnies were her favorite part of the paper, to be expected as a seven-year-old girl probably wouldn't find much enjoyment in politics and or job adverts. The best funnies were always shared with EJ, and if the girl thought it was particularly enjoyable she requested they be taken home with EJ. 

"Of course, Evette," EJ answered the girl. Her mother handed her the page with the strip comics. Evette grinned as she read through each one carefully, her small brain working to understand the obscure jokes.

Evette's mother turned to EJ, a small boy in her arms, "How are you doing, EJ?" She said with a kind smile on her face.

"Pretty good, Mrs. June," EJ sighed, "But a break would be nice."

Mrs. June chuckled, "You could say that again." The little boy in her arms cooed, reaching for the dark-haired girl.

"Oh, hello, Aiden! I didn't forget about you!" EJ cheered. 

She scooped the baby in her arms, a smile blooming on the boy's face. EJ smiled brightly at the child as she tossed him gently in the air, causing him to giggle. She hugs the small boy gently. EJ handed the boy back to his mother before climbing back on her bike. Evette reaches for a high five which EJ easily accepts.

"You're still coming over for dinner this week, right?" Mrs. June asked.

"Absolutely, I could never pass up your cooking," EJ complimented. She waved as she kicked off the concrete and rode away to continue her route.

Mrs. June smiled at the girl warmly as she pedaled further down the street. She continued to throw papers, noticing how her red line grew smaller the further she pedaled. EJ idly reached for the papers in the basket of her teal bike, more concerned with the line leading to her heart's desire. She had ignored it successfully for years, she had to now as well. EJ had broke her own heart by following this line before, what was at the end of it now could not be worth the pain.

She threw another bundle of paper, leaving only one in her basket. EJ followed the road, her line even shorter. On the last street of her route, she saw the last house she had to deliver to, an expensive-looking building that normally had no occupants. 

EJ's eyebrows furrowed at the car in the driveway, much too fancy for any normal person in this neighborhood to have. A man with light skin and hair walked from the garage to the car. She threw the last paper before pedaling to the end of the driveway. Her eyebrows remained furrowed, a small pout on her lips. The man unlocked his car, a chirping sound resounding from the vehicle. A peculiar expression came upon his face as he noticed the girl on the bike.

"Hello, may I help you?" He said with a confused but friendly smile. EJ was pulled out of her thoughts, her cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry, not used to people living down this way."

"My family and I just moved here. We needed a change of scenery."

"Your family?"

"Yes, my wife and children," He said with a fond smile on his face.

"Oh," was all EJ said. 

There was a moment of awkward silence as EJ fidgeted awkwardly.

"Do you deliver the paper?" The man asked.

"Yeah, your street is on my bike route," EJ said, grateful for something easy to talk about.

"Well, then I believe we'll be seeing each other frequently. My name is Carlisle," He said waiting for her to give the same introduction. 

EJ's heart felt like it was slamming out of her ribcage. New people and her didn't mix well, especially since this man had something off about him. She knew she shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but EJ was not liking this genre and was very set in her judgment.

"My name is Emma-Jean, but everyone calls me EJ or Em, nobody calls me Emma-Jean. It's too long and obnoxious," EJ explained. 

"So, if we see each other again, and I guess we will just call me EJ," She rambled, growing uncomfortable from Carlisle's examining eyes. "Well, I'm gonna leave now. I finished delivering the papers, so I have to," She cut herself off, "Yeah, okay, goodbye," She said racing away as her cheeks flamed.

EJ cringed at herself as she went home. She was never good at meeting new people, her self-induced rules making her avoidant by nature. But when she found herself in New Hampshire, establishing roots (another thing she promised to not do) she couldn't help but indulge in Evette's demands for the comics in the paper. And somehow that led to her meeting Mrs. and Mr. June and eventually Aiden. Mrs. June had even let her babysit for money a couple of times. 

So yes, she was wary of the new family on the block. Carlisle's friendly face became something she wanted to avoid for multiple reasons. One being he was clearly rich, how he made that money was up for questioning. Secondly, it was hard to not notice the lack of a heartbeat in his chest. The all too familiar calling card of a blood-sucking immortal. 

The thought of more people like her scared her. She hadn't run into any of her kind since Peter, Charlotte, and... he-who-shall-not-be-named. So really, they were invading her space. EJ had made a conscious effort to avoid where she thought others might be. And of course, he mentioned family, which meant that a coven of vampires had recently moved onto her block right under her nose. 

And as if the mere thought of other vampires wasn't enough, her heart equal parts hoped, feared, and dreaded the idea of him being anywhere near her. She wished she could say she got over it, but it still hurt. He still hurt her every day, every time she thought about his new life with Alice. Though she hoped maybe the seer was gone by now, for whatever reason EJ didn't care. Just gone.

But her thoughts wouldn't fix anything. And what she should be focusing on was the fact that a vampire coven had moved into her small town, a fact she never thought she would have to consider.