Chapter Eleven - EJ's POV

As soon as the bell rang, I was rushing out of Spanish class a bit faster than I should have been. I couldn't help it - third period was the only class I shared with Ciel. It was funny how only yesterday I was head-over-heels for another girl that was the total opposite of mon ange.

"Good thing you're not today."

With a grin, I turned around to see Ciel standing there, looking gorgeous in a long black sweater that hung off her slim shoulders and the same black boots from yesterday tugged over tight blue jeans. A silver chain that matched the ones now decorating her shoes hung around her hips, accentuating the curves I could vividly remember tracing back in the cave. We hadn't gone all the way, but then I wasn't planning for my first time to be in a damp cave, no matter how "pretty" the water was.

My smile tightened when I saw some guys who passed by sneaking second glances at her. When their eyes met my mine, they quickly hurried away. Ciel giggled, turning my attention back to her as she straightened the silver headband that pushed back her wild curls. "Looking fierce for a petite feuille."

"Well, your new style is getting all the males' attention." Smirking, I reached forward with one hand to wrap my arm around her waist and draw her closer. "Especially mine."

"Oh really, now?" Her eyes glittering with amusement, she put her hands on my shoulder to lift herself up so she could she could whisper in my ear, "You yourself look good enough to eat."

Her teeth grazed my earlobe, and I shivered slightly before replying in a rough voice, "It has been said that this hoodie does have a catastrophic effect on the ladies."

Laughing, Ciel pulled away to look me in the eyes and ask innocently, "Are you sure it's not what's under the hoodie?"

Chuckling, I unwrapped my arm and tugged her towards the gymnasium. "Come on - we don't want to be late again."

When we walked through the doors, Coach glared at us from his post a few feet away and barked, "You two are cutting it close."

"Sorry, sir," I said with a straight face, and he grunted before waving us off to our seats. Reelie was waving to get our attention when she saw our hands clasped together. The shy grin she was wearing disappeared. Feeling guilty, I reluctantly let go of Ciel's hand and slipped both of mine into the pocket of my dark green sweatshirt. Ignoring the indigo stare that was trained on me, I shot Manny and Reelie a smile. "Hey, guys."

"See you're grinding on Coach's nerves again," the boy said with a friendly smirk. "Trying to pick a fight?"

I snorted as I sat down beside Reelie like yesterday, Ciel taking a seat beside me. "As if. I'm just not the greatest on getting to class on time."

"How come?"

"Too many distractions." This elicited a chuckle from Manny and Ciel. My left hand snaked out to grab her hand, tucking both back into my pocket and forcing her to scoot closer to me. Turning to the other girl on my right, I nudged her shoulder lightly and asked, "Why so quiet, belle fille?"

Keeping my grip on Ciel's hand even though she tried to tug it away, I focused on Reelie, whose golden eyes lit up at the sound of her nickname. "Ah, no reason. Manny just loves to dominate a conversation whenever he gets the chance."

"I do not!" he protested. "Zaby is the one who does all the talking."

"And that's why I said 'when you get the chance.'" Turning away from Manny's mutterings, she smiled at me and tossed back her long blond hair. "It's nice to be around a guy who actually listens to me."

Stroking the hand that - for now - was still clutched in mine, I replied, "Well, what are friends for?"

Reelie's lips pursed for a second before she said, "Yeah. Friends." Turning to Manny, she poked him in the side and asked, "When are you gonna quit moping?"

Taking the opportunity, I bent and kissed Ciel's pouty lips in a move too fast for humans to see. "Calm down, mon ange," I whispered for her ears alone. "Like you said, I'm not interested in her anymore. You're the only girl I have eyes for."

"Really?" she asked just as quietly, gazing at me with doe-like eyes. Checking to make sure the other two were still absorbed in their conversation, I took our joined hands out of the pocket for a moment to kiss the back of hers.

"Really."

Smiling, Ciel asked, "How long do we have to wait until we can admit we're a couple?"

"I'll start working on it," I promised, pulling away just as Coach blew the whistle.

Manny and I split up from the girls as we went in the locker rooms to change. Coach made us run laps as soon as we emerged, and so I meandered until I was sure mon ange was done. Sure enough, when we came out she was there, jogging beside Reelie in a loose purple V-Neck and gray shorts. Even as Coach yelled for us to get moving, my attention was solely on watching her move about in that revealing outfit.

"So, what do you think about Reelie?"

The question caught me off guard as I was mourning the fact that Ciel and Reelie had finished their laps. I shot Manny a side-ways glance as we and the rest of the males continued to run around the gym, since the girls had five laps while we had ten. Shrugging my shoulders while not breaking my stride, I answered, "She's pretty, nice, and smart from what my sister tells me."

"Yeah," he agreed, huffing just a bit as we finished our seventh lap. I'd set the pace, and I guess it was a little faster than it should have been - we were far ahead of the rest of the rest. Still, Manny managed to keep up with me, despite his ever-reddening face. "Does that mean you're interested in her?"

"You agreed with me - does that mean you're interested in her?"

"No way!" his protest came quickly. "Me and her have known each other since middle school. We're like siblings."

"Uh huh," I said noncommittally, earning a glare.

"Now stop dodging the question; it seemed like you were pretty hung up on her with all the compliments and sweet talking."

My brow scrunched up as we completed another lap. "How would you know? You don't speak French."

"Not the point," Manny forged on, ignoring my weak attempt at redirection. "Now today you're different, all ga-ga over Ciel. You don't got a fetish for foreign girls, do you?"

I sneered at him, and he laughed in return. Making my voice sound a little winded, I mused, "I've been home-schooled since I was born, so the only girl interaction I've had is my sister. Reelie's pretty - gorgeous, in fact - but there's not that spark, ya know? My flirtation was just testing the waters, like I did with Zaby; you don't think she read too much into it, do you?"

Shrugging, he replied hesitantly, "I don't know, man...maybe?"

"No way," I snorted, shaking my head in feigned disbelief. "I haven't even been here two days yet."

"Well, maybe that's all it takes." Manny clapped my shoulder after we finished before walking over to the water fountain. I chewed over his words as I looked over at the girls: Reelie, shooting me a thumbs up and smiling when I returned the gesture, and Ciel, her eyes half-lidded while giving me a slow wink. It was clear which person it was that I had a spark with as that blue-violet gaze held me captive.

And even though Manny was too far away to hear me now, I still answered, "Maybe."

* * *

I moped through the rest of the day. Ciel had been coerced into sitting with the Hornets, and so lunch had been even more thoroughly disappointing, especially with Mei flirting like crazy with Manny. She was just lathering the attention on him after what happened with Jacob last night, and since I was actually starting to like the guy, I didn't appreciate her messing with his heart. Reelie kept trying to pull me into the conversation, but not even her and Zaby's antics could pull me out of my sullenness.

English cheered me up slightly, only because it meant school was almost over. My twin refused to talk to me, sensing my disappointment and shirking away from it. Finally, once the bell rang, I was able to pull her away from Manny and say in a low voice, "You need to stop, Mei."

"Why?"

I glared at her, hard and unmoving even when she started to squirm. "You know why."

"He likes me, and I like him," Mei argued, brown eyes flashing as she tore her arm out of my semi-tight grip. "And you have Ciel, so you won't be lonely."

In an instant, I realized where her true anger lay. How could I claim to have a psychic link with my twin and yet not have known? Gripping her shoulders with a strength she couldn't easily shrug loose from, I waited until she looked me in the eyes to tell her, "She can't replace you, Mei. No one can, and no one will. If I lost you, I would be lost myself."

"I know," she said in a small voice, and I hugged her to me. "It's just nice to have the fact reaffirmed."

My laughter came spontaneously, and the rest of our group finally realized we'd fallen behind. Zaby called to us, and we hurried to catch up. Manny's attention was immediately focused back on my sister, but now her words were not filled with so much innuendos. The feeling of content within me grew when I saw Ciel waiting a few feet up ahead, leaning against a pillar and smiling directly at me.

Once the humans broke off to catch their respective rides, I was free to take her into my arms. Pressing a kiss on her headband, I inhaled the fresh scent of her hair and mumbled against it, "I missed you."

"Good," Ciel replied, a smile in her voice as she tickled my sternum with her nose. "That means the feeling was mutual."

Grinning, I pulled back, keeping my hold on one hand while linking the other around Mei's arm. The tension in my sister instantly receded at the gesture, and she lead us in the direction of the parking lot. "Aunt Rose and Uncle Em are waiting."

"I wonder why?" My spoken thought trailed off as they both came into view: standing in front of my aunt's red convertible and garnering attention at the sight of a beautiful car next to two beautiful people - who held a beautiful child.

"Hello!" Rachel greeted us, her eyes warm. Their color was a lilac shade very different from Ciel's darker purple mix. "You two must be my cousins, EJ and Nessie."

"That's us," I said with a friendly grin. The little girl was cute, and she made Aunt Rose's life complete; I knew that she'd always wanted a child, and while Mei and I were good substitutes, we weren't her own. Now, she'd gotten two.

My twin nodded cautiously. The origins of our new cousins still made her suspicious, which was only to be expected. Once, I may have been the same, but since mon ange came from a murky background, I wasn't as worried about strangers as I once was.

Uncle Emmett nodded towards the car. "Well, hop in, squirts. Let's get out of this hellhole."

Ignoring Ciel's initial reluctance, I pulled her with me into the car as Mei slid in on the other side. Before she could shut the door, Aunt Rose put Rachel on her lap, leaving them both surprised as she made her way to the passenger seat. Trying to alleviate the awkwardness, I asked the blonde girl, "Where's your brother?"

"Henry is with Aunt Bella," Rachel replied, reaching out to hold one of Mei's stray ringlets. "Your hair is beautiful - so long and fiery."

The answering smile came, if a bit hesitantly. "Thanks. I like your hair, too; mine can never get that straight."

"I'd bet it would be even longer if it was!"

My twin laughed and clutched Rachel just a little closer. "Can't argue."

Ciel drew my attention as she casually rested her head on my shoulder, idly playing with the fingers of my right hand. Unable to resist any longer, I used my free hand to tilt her head and press a warm kiss on her upturned lips. The familiar coil of fierce energy shot through me, heating my body from head to toe as she gently nibbled my lip. I internally cursed her slyness as she twisted her head before I could deepen our kiss, raking her teeth along my jaw and making my pulse pound.

We're home, Mei thought to me, and with those unspoken words the world came rushing back. Pulling away upon a sigh, I followed my sister out of the car - if I'd left after Ciel, I was afraid the temptation to drag her back to me would overwhelm common sense. Reading my rationale, Mei snorted. Like you had any common sense to begin with.

Thanks, oh lovely sister of mine, I replied caustically, and she just laughed aloud. Spotting the car parked in front of the main house, I sighed again. It seemed like the Denalis had arrived, and that meant questions, explanations, and planning. Even as Ciel gripped my hand once more, I had a feeling our carefree days were coming to a close.

Little did I know how dreadfully right I would be.

~~~~~

Here it is, ON TIME might I add. xD Alright, the pace is really gonna pick up with the Denalis arrival! More drama at school, too; Chelsea and the Hornets still have a (semi) vital role to play. And the vampire troubles are mounting as the Volturi's arrival looms on the horizon. Comment to tell me what you think's gonna happen next! ;D