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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 Bridget Mae loved in this whole entire world. Two things that always managed to bring her joy and clarity, that calmed her state of mind when stressed or upset. Two things that she knew she could always count on and they would never disappoint.

Books and music.

Books have always been her go to whenever she was feeling lonely and bored, and she felt that way quite often. They were where she would escape from this world, where she could pretend she was a character in one of the stories, someone with a purpose. Someone who was so oblivious to the reality of the real world that all she cared about was adventure or that one passionate love that will never burn out. Reality was a cruel place, whereas the imaginary, fictional and made up realms were so much better.

Music was the same, in a sense, just much more important to the blonde. Bridget has always been open minded about the different styles of music and though she can't say she likes them all, she does respect them. Her favorite form of music is classical, like an orchestra or a quartet. Just a bunch of simple, beautiful melodies played together in perfect harmony. Music had a way of telling their own stories in them, just like a book. Her favorite piece of instrument was the violin.

The different styles she has heard gifted violinists use, the different genres, it truly amazed Bridget beyond words. The violin wasn't just for classical, but for rock, pop, jazz, R&B- anything really. It was such a beautiful instrument, one she very much enjoys playing herself, an outlet for her anxiety and stress.

In Bridget's mind, music was true passion. She has been musically inclined since she was old enough to reach the dial on the radio in the living room of her house. She would be singing to the words without even knowing them, just mumbling and dancing to the sweet melody.

Her two favorite things together, it always brought Bridget that rare sense of happiness she longs for but can never truly hang onto. It is why she could get lost for hours in a book or playing her violin, because she never knows when she will feel that happy or feel at peace in the outside world.

It was why she found herself in the library during study hall, headphones over her ears and her iPod playlist on shuffle, playing so loudly she was sure anyone who walked past her could hear it and one of her favorite books opened right in front of her.

The beautiful blonde sat at one of the empty tables, oblivious to the looks she was receiving from some of her peers around her. Bridget had become very good at ignoring these stares. The 'what is her deal?' kind of stares and the 'why doesn't she look like the rest of her weird family?'. Bridget tried not to let the gossip get to her, she should be used to it by now. Ever since Alaska when she first went to school with the Cullen's she received the same stares and heard the same gossip, but like normal those had died down eventually.

Forks High School was a completely different story. Ever since their arrival two years ago, they have been the talk of the school. Alice tried to explain to her one day that it is because Forks is such a small town that it was rare anything truly exciting happened here, it wasn't unusual for people to be curious.

But there was a difference between curiosity and plain disrespect. The students didn't make it unknown that they thought the family was strange, and because Bridget was technically a part of this family, given the fact that she lived with them, she was a part of the neverending gossip. Especially since her story did not align with the rest of the Cullen's.

As far as everyone is concerned, Bridget Mae Clark- the last name she now goes by- is a friend of the family who had gotten emancipated from her parents due to a bad home situation and Dr. and Mrs. Cullen was kind enough to offer her a room for rent. Because she was 'seventeen' she was still forced to go to school. Carlisle claimed it was best to keep up appearances.

This wasn't anything new to the blonde. She was used to school, she has graduated more times than she can count, way before she even met the Cullen's. She was alone during those times. She never had a supernatural family that she was connected to that looked like photoshopped supermodels.

Bridget has been with the Cullen's for seven years now, back in 1997 after having a runin with Dr. Carlisle Cullen during her time in New Orleans. It had been fifty-six years since they had first met, back before Bridget ever realized something in her life was wrong, before she knew she had stopped aging.

Neither knew what to say during the encounter, but it was quite obvious they recognized one another. The first time they met, her father had just had a heart attack in '41 and he had been the one to inform her and her brother that he didn't make it. It was hard for her to forget that day and the doctor who did his best to help him.

At first, Bridget remembers thinking Carlisle was like her. Frozen in time, without any explanation or reason. But that was far from the case.

Carlisle had brought Bridget to his home where she met the rest of the Cullen's. For the first time in five decades, she told them all the truth, as much as she could. Trying to explain that she doesn't know what happened to her, that she doesn't understand why she stopped aging after seventeen, was a lot harder than she thought it would be. They were all very understanding and sympathetic.

However, when they told her the truth about themselves, Bridget was not that understanding. Hell, she almost didn't believe him until he proved it with his inhuman speed. It was all insanity. Vampires? Actual blood drinking vampires. She didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't stay in denial, she tried. But sadly when she thinks about it, it actually made more sense then her own situation. Doesn't mean the thought didn't trouble her deeply, because it did.

She was reassured from learning they did not hurt people, that they drank the blood of animals. It's just the lifestyle, the thought of being soulless or damned, was simply terrifying to her. Bridget knows it made her sound like a hypocrite, but she can't help how she feels. She was uncomfortable around most of them, but the thought of being alone scared her far worse than they do, so she figures she will get over her feelings and learn to adapt.

It may just take a few more years... or decades. She has eternity to adjust. She can be patient.

Despite the indifference, the family has been a big help with researching situations like hers and why she is the way she is. Her curse was unheard of, even for Carlisle, but they still kept looking. The fact that she doesn't even know what happened to make her like this made everything harder. Bridget had given up long ago to find an answer, but she appreciated them for caring enough to try. She just has to accept her fate. And she has. She has no other choice.

So yes, Bridget was used to the stares. The gossip, rumors and taunts she wasn't so used to nor did she appreciate. Especially from desperate boys who liked to go around claiming they had their fun with her for street cred and to climb higher in the school's totem pole. Bridget hates confrontation but she will do it if necessary. Boys who lied about that kind of rumor were very easy to tear down. All Bridget had to do was threaten them to either tell the truth or she would confirm it and give a very displeasing review of his performance to anyone with ears, which pretty much would be the entire school.

She only ever had to do it twice and it worked both times. No one was dumb enough to spread those lies about her again.

Bridget was so lost in the story and beautiful melodies that she hadn't heard the last bell ring, signaling the end of the day nor had she noticed students packing up and leaving the library. She was in a whole other world, which is where she likes to be.

She doesn't really know how long she was sitting there after the bell, but she didn't break out of her zone until she felt a gentle, cold hand placed on her shoulder, clearly trying hard not to startle her but not succeeding, seeing as the blonde nearly jumped out of her seat. Lifting her head to find the culprit, Bridget instantly relaxes once she sees who it was and pulls off her headphone.

"Rose, you startled me."

A light chuckle escaped her friend's lips. "Sorry, but you escaped to another world again. It's hard not to get you back to the present without giving you a bit of a scare."

Bridget smiled softly at that. "That's true." She looked around the library and frowned. "Huh, I didn't even hear the bell."

"I figured when you didn't meet me at your locker. But if you still need a ride, we have to go now. Emmett is being irritable today."

"More irritable than you?" Bridget inquired.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I don't think that's possible."

One of the things Bridget likes about Rosalie, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She was a very honest person and Bridget respected that. It was one of the reasons why the two women got along so well. That and they did share a lot in common. Mostly the fact that they both feel like they were robbed of the lives they always envisioned for themselves, They both craved normalcy. The two wanted a family and a chance to grow old with those they loved.

Neither woman would ever get that chance ever again. It was heartbreaking and frustrating, but at least they had each other, someone who understands what they truly lost. Rosalie never asked to be turned into a vampire and Bridget never asked to be cursed.

"Thanks for coming to get me," Bridget says, getting up from her seat and tucking her book into her bag. "I probably would have been sucked into that book for another thirty minutes before I realized no one was around and with my car in the shop, I'd rather not walk back to the house. Not when I have work tonight."

"'Outlander'," Rosalie commented, ignoring her thanks and reading the title before it disappeared in her bag. "How many times have you read that exactly?"

Bridget shrugged. "I have no idea. But it definitely gets better and better every time I pick it up."

Rosalie waited for Bridget to push in her chair and wiped some of the dust from the tablet off of her long, dark blue with wild flowers dress and slipped into one a light tan sweater before responding, both of them heading out of the library. "You know, if you'd just let us get you a new car, you wouldn't have to take that piece of junk station wagon to the shop every other month."

The two made their way towards the exit, pushing open the large doors and the cold wind brushing back both of their blonde locks. "And you know how much I hate charity. It's bad enough Esme and Carlisle won't let me pay rent."

"They don't need your money, Bridget."

"I know but I still don't like it."

When Carlisle had offered her to stay with them, she didn't know it was going to be free of charge. She remembers the first time she tried to give Esme money for the first month's rent, the kind woman just chuckled before hugging her, stating that it was unnecessary and they will not accept a dime from her. It bothered Bridget deeply because she feels like she is living off of them and she doesn't like it one bit. She hated relying on other people or feeling like she owes them. She's never been one to accept charity or handouts, it's just who she is.

That is when she made a deal that was non negotiable. She won't pay rent but anything else she needs- like food, clothes, car payments, etc.- she would take care of them herself. That didn't stop them from buying her presents for her birthday, which Edward, the mind reader, had betrayed her and spilled the beans of when that was. She wanted to strangle him so bad because of it.

The two made their way towards the others who were waiting by their vehicles. The parking lot was packed with students either talking with friends or trying to get out of here as quickly as possible.

Bridget almost made it to the car without slipping on the black ice, but her feet betrayed her like usual and she was going down. Thankfully, Edward, who had been making his way toward his Volvo right behind the two blondes, reached out and caught her from behind before she could humiliate herself and give these nosy teenagers something else to talk about.

Cheeks burning bright red from embarrassment, she nodded her head towards him in gratitude once she was settled back on both feet and steady. "Thank you, Edward."

"You're welcome." He mutters out, before heading to stand next to his car.

He seems a bit agitated and on edge, but that has been normal for him for the past couple weeks. This was his first day back after he ran off to the Denali coven in order to collect himself. According to Rosalie, the new girl, Bella Swan is like a trigger for his self control. She called it a contante, which is a fancy word for singer. It basically means that her blood appeals to him in a more extreme sense than normal.

Apparently the risk was so severe, Edward needed to get out of the state as far as he could in order not to kill her. Bridget felt sick to her stomach from the knowledge, fearing what would happen if he gave in to his impulses and his true nature. She had gone to Carlisle with her concerns of him returning to school, but Carlisle was very sure Edward got himself under control and knew what he was doing.

Seeing him now, somewhat calm and collected, reassured her slightly, but she couldn't help but feel wary around him.

Edward is one of the ones who Bridget tries to avoid. She doesn't have anything against him personally, though his mind reading ability creeps her out and is very inconvenient. She hates that he knows what she is thinking all the time.

He wasn't the only one she tries to avoid, she is like that with most of the Cullen's, all except Rosalie and Carlisle. It was for both sakes really, because despite being immortal, she was still human with blood pumping in her veins. She knew they were just as uncomfortable around her as she was with them, so she did her best to stay out of the way. She knew how to make herself scarce, only at the house to sleep and shower.

Jasper and Alice shortly joined the group, the couple going to stand with Edward who was waiting for them to head back to the house. Alice thought it best Jasper stayed in the opposite vehicle of Bridget for everyone's sake until her car was fixed. Since Jasper was the newest to their 'vegetarian diet' as they jokingly call their choice of surviving, he was the one Bridget tried avoiding the most. She doesn't even remember the last time the two exchanged more than three words to one another.

A shadow suddenly came over her and Bridget looked to see an umbrella over her head, Rosalie having moved so they were sharing against the misty rain. "Don't want to ruin that pretty dress."

Bridget smiled graciously. "No, we don't want that."

She has gotten many curious looks for her choice of attire, seeing as she only wears casual dresses with either heels or flats, depending on her mood. Bridget just feels more comfortable in dresses and she loves how pretty they were. She has dress down days, but jeans and a t-shirt never suited her. She is not filthy rich like her companions, but the jobs she has over the years helped her immensely. Plus, someone she loved dearly made sure she was taken care of for a long, long time. But she tries not to abuse that money though.

"Rose, is it still alright that I use your car tonight?"

The blonde vampire rolled her eyes, mostly because this is the fifth time she has asked her this this week. "Of course it is, Bridget. Stop worrying that you are putting me at an inconvenience."

Bridget didn't respond, just nodded softly and tucked a piece of her hair out of her face. She can't help feeling that way. She may have been with them for seven years but it was still hard for her to rely on anyone for help or favors. She has been on her own for so long, she forgot what it's like to have a true friend.

Everyone was brought out of their own conversation when the sound of tires screeching and a horn blaring. Bridget lifted her head, only to see a dark blue van spinning out of control in the parking lot, heading straight towards the large red truck at the opposite end of the parking lot, the owner of said vehicle standing right outside of it about to be crushed.

Everything happened very quickly, Bridget didn't get the chance to really understand what exactly happened until it was over. Everyone was then freaking out, moving quickly towards the scene. Bridget was so far away from the scene that she couldn't really hear what was happening, or if that girl was alright. She felt her friend stiffen beside her and when she looked over, she noticed not only Rosalie but the others as well were staring at the accident with wide eyes and angered expressions.

It took Bridget a second to realize Edward was not where he once was, but instead was hopping over the red truck and fleeing the scene. She was very confused and she didn't understand why the others were so stiff and freaking out. She looked back over to where all the students were now gathering around and teachers were running out of the school to see if anyone was hurt. That is when it finally registered.

Edward just nearly exposed himself and his family to the school, risking everything to save the very same girl who he feels a strong urge to drain blood from. Bridget understands the angry looks on the others faces, but she doesn't know whether to feel upset towards Edward as well or relieved that he saved that innocent girl's life.

If only she knew that this was only the beginning.

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 saving Bella Swan was much worse than Bridget ever could imagine. She has never seen the family so angry and distraught. This is the first incident where their true nature was nearly exposed to everyone, at least with her there to witness it, but thankfully by some miracle, no one else had seen Edward save Bella. Either they were too oblivious or they were too worried about Bella to notice him fleeing the scene.

Bridget had tried to keep up, but everyone's reaction was kind of frightening. Rosalie had followed Edward to the hospital where they were talking to Carlisle about his recklessness while Bridget was preparing for her shift at the restaurant. Unfortunately, she ended up calling out when Carlisle called a family meeting and had asked her to join, since she should be informed of what they decided to do.

The others chastised Edward for his stupid decision, and they all were trying to figure out what to do with Bella, seeing as she clearly told Edward she knows something is strange is going on and she refused to believe the lie he told her about being right next to her instead of across the lot where she clearly saw him moments before the accident.

Bridget is not all clear why she had needed to be present, seeing as her vote never really mattered. If they decided to pick up and move, Bridget wouldn't really have any objections. She honestly could not stand the school or people there, so it wouldn't be such a big loss. But trying to find new jobs that pays well and willing to higher a seventeen year old teenager is always tricky, but she usually manages.

It wasn't until Jasper and Rosalie threw out the idea of killing Bella before she started asking too many questions when she finally spoke her mind.. Bridget was happy to see she wasn't the only one repulsed by the idea.

"That is out of the damn question!" She snapped at the both of them, the others turning to stare at the girl, surprised by her sudden input.

"She is a threat to this family!" Rosalie argued, but not in a nasty way. The two girls have always been able to talk civilly without conflict.

Bridget rose to her feet. "How is that her fault? It's not this girl's fault that Mr. Knight and Shining Armor here acted impulsively and stupidly. Why the hell should she die for his recklessness?"

"If she goes around telling all her little friends what she saw-" Jasper started but Edward was the one who cut him off.

"She won't."

Rosalie scoffed. "Oh, because you know her so well."

"All of you, enough." Esme demanded the others who she views as her adoptive children. "We are not going to kill her."

Rosalie and Jasper bit their tongues and Bridget found herself relaxing softly, not realizing that her hands were slightly shaking until she looked up, only to see Edward staring down at her hands. Following his gaze, Bridget immediately rubbed her hands together and then crossed her arms over her chest in hopes of trying to contain herself. The realization how they were so quick to kill an innocent human made her feel very dizzy and sick to her stomach.

Because of his mind reading ability, Edward is pretty much the only one who truly understands exactly how Bridget feels about living with them. The others know she doesn't like the idea of staying here all that much but Edward is the only one who has heard her thoughts. Has heard her fears and her worries and her judgment. But he has always kept it to himself. Even when Bridget would feel like a terrible person for thinking the worst of them, he went as far as assuring her that she isn't the only one and that they all think the worst in themselves and always will.

So seeing her hands shake from fear of the idea of ending an innocent's life was not surprising to Edward at all and Bridget could see it in his eyes that he will never let that happen which did not reassure her like he probably hoped it would.

"What are we going to do about her then?" Rosalie demanded, looking towards Carlisle. "You heard what she said to Edward. She isn't going to give up until she finds out what really happened."

"If it gets too risky, then we will leave. But right now, let's just give this some time to settle down." Carlisle decides, looking between each member of his family.

"Alice?" Emmett suddenly says, everyone turning to the pixie looking vampire. "Have you seen anything that could happen with this girl? Are we in danger?"

Alice softly shook her head. "No. We should be okay. But Bella isn't."

"What do you mean, Alice?" Esme questions.

"I've seen two possible outcomes involving Bella Swan," Alice tells them, staring directly at Edward who was not glaring down at the floor, already knowing what she was about to say. "Either Bella dies a human soon or..."

Jasper placed a comforting hand on his mate's shoulder. "Or?"

"Or she is turned and she becomes a part of this family."

Everyone was silent after that and Bridget suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Like the walls were closing and she was slowly suffocating. Alice was gifted with the ability of premonition, meaning she was able to see the future and outcome before they happened. They were always prone to change, but they were normally always accurate. So either this young human was bound to die soon or she would become like the rest of the Cullens. A soulless, lifeless vampire who survived on their only food source... blood.

Bridget was grabbing her violin case that she tossed on the couch coming down and was making a quick dash to the front door before anyone could see just how unsettled she truly was. "I-I have to get to work. Thank you for lending me your car, Rose."

She was gone and in the garage before anyone could say anything. She immediately got into Rosalie's red convertible and was driving away as soon as the garage doors opened. Everything was just too much and as much as Bridget tries to convince herself that they are good people, they are still vampires. Unholy, sinful creatures by nature. It was just a hard pill for her to swallow.

Time. Time was her enemy but it was also her friend sometimes. All she needed was time and soon, she should warm up to them. All she needed was more time.

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First chapters are never the best but this was a good introduction in my opinion.

Just to make things clear, everything about her past and how she got to where she is will be explain in due time.

Hope everyone like the first chapter! Let me know what you think, I love feedback!