I laughed slightly under my breath as once again Dr. Lindon kept his eyes shut, conducting the imaginary orchestra he pictured in front of him.

"You're kidding me." I heard my newest friend and classmate mutter under her breath. Bella Swan was gorgeous...disgustingly so. I had nearly gasped the first time she saw her in her Russian History class. Her eyes were a striking gold and her hair absolutely flawless. It got even worse when they moved, her walking was more graceful thanmy finest moment. Her boyfriend was just as striking. Honestly I was convinced the two met at some modeling agency somewhere. Or in a lab where they designed freakish super humans.

"I love it." I countered, underlining the dates that were on the board and I had copied into my notebook.

"Well I can't follow any of this." Bella gave up, half dropping her pen on the table, not that it would have disturbed the older man who was lost in his fake concert. "I don't know why I signed up for all these history classes. I can't follow any of them."

"Because you picked up a history minor...?" I laughed a bit clicking my pen shut as our professor had taken us to the end of class and it was time for dismissal. "I can help you sort things out before our papers are due if you want." I was an education major specializing in history. It came naturally to me. I loved to feel the strong connections I forged with times in which I did not belong. I often found myself emotionally invested in the lives of historical figures I never knew, emotionally affected by their lives. It was weird, but I reveled in the historical empathy that came to me so naturally.

"Yes please." The girl half pleaded, her voice just as beautiful as her appearance. The two of us put up our hoods, prepared for the rain that was almost guaranteed in the small town of Connersville.

Connersville, Pennsylvania was a small rural town about an hour outside of the big city of Pittsburgh. Being in North Western Pennsylvania, Connersville was almost never fully sunny and was jokingly known for its constant rain and snow. As well as the cold weather that often accompanied it. Weather that I very much hated. My blonde hair immediately curled up the second we walked outside and I furrowed my brow in envy as Bella's hair remained perfect as did Edward's who was dutifully waiting outside the history building as he always was.

"Hey there, Bella." He greeted, extending his hand to hers. I felt a pang of jealousy hit me. The two of them were perfect; and not just individually, but together. Love and commitment shining from both of them in a way that I felt like I would never receive. "Annabelle." He greeted, polite as always, with a nod.

"Hey, Edward." I answered, readjusting the strap on my backpack which was now slightly damp from the sprinkling mist that surrounded us. The three of us continued across campus which was filled with other students trying their best to shield themselves from the precipitation. "Coming to the library with us? Bella can't get through the first half of Notes From the Underground because frankly she seems to think Lindon is speaking another language."

Edward flashed Bella a smile that was both mocking and loving "Library it is." He agreed and with that we entered the large building and claimed a rectangular table that was identical to several others around it. By the time I took out the small paperback book, Bella and Edward were both frozen...looking positively frightened. Like two deer that were caught in headlights. "What?" I asked looking over her shoulder.

Standing there were two of the most strikingly gorgeous men I had ever seen, both somehow even more so than the two people i had previously thought to be the best looking people possible. I couldn't even manage to find the worlds to ask who they were and instead swallowed involuntarily. "That's my father and his friend." Edward explained as if he could tell I was struggling to find the words.

My eyes looked at the blonde man who walked toward them, practically gliding, his face looking kind and almost...apologetic. He was practically most gentle looking man I had ever seen. His eyes were the same glowing gold as Edward and Bella's making me certain he was in fact Mr. Cullen. I only managed to look away from the man as the one next to him was equally, in fact more so, beautiful...yet a hundred times more haunting. His dark hair drastically contrasted with his light skin that would look sickly on anyone else. His black jeans, shirt, and jacket matching perfectly and tied together with the black dress boots that slowly walked toward us. His face was...beyond words. It was graceful, gorgeous, and absolutely frightening all at once. His eyes were not golden like the others but were a dark red somehow and his face was friendly, yet twisted. As if he knew something funny the rest of the them didn't.

"Why is your dad here?" I finally managed out, not quite able to peel my eyes off of the darker figure who was now looking back at me, causing me to startle which was answered with a stunning smirk.

"His friend likes to check in every once in a while." He said offhandedly, though I could feel the tension rising as the two of them got up. I finally looked at them both rather than our new visitors.

"Edward! Isabella!" The dark haired man greeted, clapping his hands together "Its been far too long."

"Several years, yes." Edward answered as the older man grasped his hand and nodding with what seemed like approval.

"And Isabella, you are marvelous." He almost whispered, taking her hand as well, even going so far as to kiss the back of it but looking less pleased "Ah. Well it is at least consistent." He commented confusing me as I sat silently watching as if it were a movie.

"Aro, this is our friend, Annabelle." Edward introduced, gesturing to me. I took that as my que to stand and hold out my hand to shake but instead the man seemed to be having a staring contest with Edward, both men glaring at one another. I lowered my hand but just has it reached my side, an icy cold hand stopped it, picking it up again and raising it to equally cold lips, just as had been done to Bella. My eyes met the dark red ones which were now looking shocked. Concern took over me, looking over my shoulder to Edward who was looking just as taken aback.

Feeling panicked, I pulled my hand away, tucking a piece of curly blonde hair behind my ear. I looked at the blonde man who looked puzzled at his son as if he would explain to me what was going on. But instead he broke the silence by addressing the other older man. "Like I said, Aro, they're busy studying. But I'm sure they'd love to come home and visit with you a while longer and leave their friend to her studies in peace."

The other man, Aro, ignored him, reaching past me and picking up my thin slightly worn out book.

"Dostoyevsky?" He asked raising what I had just realized was a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Oh, yes. Um it's for our Russian history class." I answered, not sure how I could finally find the nerve to speak.

I watched as his delicate fingers flipped through the pages quickly and a smirk appeared on his face "Given the state of this novel, I would say you've read it several times over at least." I nodded, confirming his assessment. "And what do you think of it? I rather admire the mindset of the author." I couldn't believe he was striking up conversation with me and furthermore that the other three beautiful humans stood there silently, as if they were afraid to interrupt.

"Yeah. I managed out clumsily. "A lot of people who read it think that he's mad but frankly I think it could be misunderstood brilliance." I said, knowing that it was more likely that this would make the man unsettled as it did most people with whom I had expressed that opinion, not that the subject cane up much. "Brilliant indeed." The man answered, his eyes showing some sort of interest that I could not tear away from...and so Bella did it for me.

"Carlisle is right. Aro, we should let Annabelle get her work done and the four of us should talk at the house. Besides I'm sure Esme would like to be included." I didn't know who Esme was but frankly I didn't care, I was again captured by the man in front of me, frozen in his stare.

"Aro." Edward said, oddly stern making me jump.

"Be careful, Edward." Aro replied dangerously, only increasing the tension that was already so thick I could have drowned. "I am sure I will see you again, lovely Annabelle." He said, redirecting his gaze using a far more gentle tone. I could feel my cheeks get hot at his departing words.

"We will see you tomorrow, okay? I seriously need help with this book or my paper is going to make no sense." Bella laughed, grabbing her bag from an angry looking Edward who had gathered their things. "Sorry about all of this. Edward's family is a bit complicated." She added as her boyfriend forged ahead.

And just like that, the four of them were gone leaving me feeling absolutely stunned as if everything I had just witnessed was not at all real.

The next day Bella showed up alone, Edward nowhere to be seen. I honestly wondered what kind of crazy backstory the Cullens had. They lived about twenty minutes from campus in a giant house and his father seemed like the nicest guy in the world.

"How'd yesterday go?" I asked, taking out by books, putting my hair up in a bun to keep it out of my face.

Bella rolled her eyes "Edward is stressed out but that's to be expected. Like I said his family is a bit much and it really gets to him."

"Where the hell is that one guy from?" I asked, trying to act like I hadn't been thinking of him all night.

Bella raised an eyebrow at me "What do you mean?"

"Like is he from somewhere far away or like have some sort of I don't know weird gene?" I asked opening my book "I've never seen anyone with eyes that color and I'm pretty sure he has some blood circulation problems because his hand was freezing."

Bella shrugged but she seemed really tense. "Um. I don't know. Maybe. I don't think I've ever noticed." That response made me laugh a little. "What?" She asked defensively making me roll my eyes.

"You're kidding right?" I asked in disbelief "I swear you guys all must come from some sort of town where only super gorgeous people with cool eye colors live."

Bella laughed and opened her own book, flipping to the page where she got lost in the plot. The book was somewhat disorienting. The narrater was a pathological liar with a mind that was at the very least crooked. Most people hated the guy by the end of the story, but I always found myself oddly drawn to him. It might have been his mystery or maybe his cleverness...but something about him always got me interested in what story he was weaving.

I enjoyed my friendship with Bella. She was physically perfect in every way but other than that she was a very down to earth and normal person. She was smart and she saw the world in a more...calm way then most girls just starting college. She was also really thoughtful and noticed the little things, something I valued. She may have been one of my closest friends in Connersville.

We were both started on our papers, typing away in silent comradery on the laptops we borrowed from the library staff. That was until Bella's phone chimed, a picture of Edward appearing on the screen.

"I've got to get going." She said, closing her laptop and gathering her things. I nodded, following her lead. I was fading anyway, my paper getting worse and worse as I went.

"I'll walk out with you." I said , zipping up my bag and pulling my hoodie over my head. "Is Edward picking you up?"

Bella nodded and the two of us returned our laptops and went outside, walking toward the parking lot for commuters. "First snow of the season." Bella laughed at my face as I watched the specs of white fall onto the ground.

"Great." I huffed and stepped into the piercing cold. "Ice and everything." I added as I half slipped on the poorly maintained sidewalk. Bella, of course was as graceful as ever, walking as if she didn't even come into contact with the ground.

"Is Edward already here?" I asked, looking around the lot and putting my backpack in the trunk of my now snowy car. I wasn't about to leave her outside to wait on her own. "He said he was on his way so he'll be a few minutes at the most." Bella said casually and I nodded taking out the snow brush from my trunk and slamming it shut again.

That's when it happened.

At first all I saw was spinning tires and then I saw nothing. I could hear voices echoing along with the ringing in my ears and finally I managed to open my eyes. There were a few students checking on a girl who had been driving the car that was now crashed into the back of mine and Bella was standing over me, her eyes completely black, her face absolutely terrifying.