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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍

    𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐃 a love-hate relationship with summer. For any normal teenager, summer is the best time of the year because it means they are free of the pressures of school and for some, traveling to vacation homes for the three month break. But for a girl dealing with an ageless curse and having had the carpet ripped from under her on multiple occasions, it was just another long and exhausting year that has come to an end.

    She did the same thing she always did, except school was no longer in the equation. Bridget had kept to herself, working more hours at the restaurant and even going into the library on Saturday's as well as Sunday's. She goes to the beach as often as she likes, which is a big plus and she gets to practice ballet more in her spare time. She even found herself enjoying the time she would spend with Briar Claw when teaching the girl the violin.

    Teaching was actually easier than Bridget had realized, though Briar did have a hard time learning the basic strings in the beginning. Bridget had to remind herself that not everyone is naturally gifted like she was and it takes time for other people. Where it took her only a couple days to understand the basics, it took Briar a month to get it down But by the end of the summer, Briar had advanced well. She even said her mom was saving just to buy her a violin so she doesn't have to keep using hers. Bridget didn't mind, though.

    It was strange, really, because the time she spent with Briar was actually something she looked forward to. Last month, Briar had shocked her by claiming she was such a great friend. Bridget didn't really know what to say to that. She had spent so many decades avoiding that word outside of the Cullens. But Bridget didn't correct her, she just let the word weigh heavily on her shoulders and tried to come to terms with it.

    Briar is an amazing girl, and in any situation Bridget would be thrilled to call this girl a friend. If only that word didn't scare her half to death.

    Now that summer was over and school was back in action, Bridget was actually happy to be going back to school. It was another distraction, another thing to pass the time. And now that she was no longer going to Forks, it made things so much more worth it.

    As the bell rang in dismissal, Bridget found herself at her locker, dreading the idea of returning to the house. Unfortunately, Alice had talked Bridget into attending the birthday party she was throwing for no other than Bella Swan. It couldn't really be for anyone else in the house seeing as none of them celebrate their birthdays like that, only exchange gifts against the recipients wishes.

    The situation with Edward 'dating' a human girl was still intense, especially whenever Edward brought the girl near the family. Bridget had gotten pretty decent at dodging the girl, but of course, that could not be avoided for long. It was an awkward meeting, if you can even call it that, seeing as the last time Bridget had spoken to Bella was when she told her to mind her business. Obviously she did not listen and it was clear that Bella could sense Bridget's discomfort with her even though Bella still to this day knows nothing about her or why she stays with the Cullens.

    Bridget still can't believe Edward actually kept his word on that front and appreciated that he did. If Bella was really going to be a current factor in this equation, Bridget should just let Edward tell her. But in the back of her mind, Bridget views Bella as an outsider and still does not trust her. A part of her thinks she is more trouble than she is worth, but she has learned to keep this thought in the deep part of her mind whenever she was near Edward. But she is pretty sure Edward has heard her thoughts no matter what.

    However, Alice convinced everyone to attend and Bridget only said she would stay for a little while before she drove off somewhere. She has no idea where, she did not have work tonight so it's either to a tiny cafe she found on the reservation that she found herself enjoying or the beach.

    The blonde was placing all the textbooks she did not need into her locker when she noticed a figure walk up to her from the corner of her eye. He was a boy with traditional long black hair pulled back into a loose bun, a bit lean with copper skin. He was now leaning on the locker next to hers with a cocky grin on his lips. "Hey."

    "Hi."

    "I'm Steve."

    Bridget barely spared him a glance as she put her last book into her locker. "Hi, Steve."

    Steve pointed at her, eyes squinted together. "And your name is Bridget."

     "Is it?" Bridget muttered as she zipped up her bag. "I think I need to go find my birth certificate just to double check."

    Steve chuckled at her words. "You're funny. And really hot, too. Definitely two combinations I like in a girl."

    And here we go.

    Bridget then pulled out her sweater from her locker and wrapped it around herself before grabbing her umbrella, having noticed it was raining pretty good out and since she does not have Rosalie here to save her with the umbrella, she had to remember to bring her own. "Good for you."

    Steve clearly did not understand the sarcasm in her tone and took it as a sign to keep talking. "You actually might be the hottest girl at this school."

    Bridget sighed and finally turned to the boy. "Look, Steven-"

    "It's just Steve."

    "I really don't care." Bridget blankly stated. "I'm not interested."

     "Oh come on, I don't bite." Steve continued to press, clearly having a hard time with rejection. He spared a glance over his shoulder to which Bridget followed, noticing three of his friends who were watching the whole scene unfold. Probably some bet that they could get the new, loner girl to agree to go out with him. "Go out with me Friday night. We could go see a movie."

     "No thank you. Now please excuse me."

    Bridget attempted to walk past him but he stepped in her way. "What? Do you have a boyfriend or something?"

    "Nope and I'm not looking for one."

    "Well, what if I say I'm not looking to be your boyfriend?"

    "I say your ego is far bigger than your head and that's saying something."

     "Oh come on. I get you are this loner chick but in truth you are too hot to waste it in the slumps with your face buried in a book all the time. One night with me will give you the best reputation in not just the reservation."

    Bridget has heard a lot of arrogant and egotistical things but that has to be top of her list as one of the dafted lines ever used on her. "Look, Steven-"

    "Still just Steve."

    "Still don't care," Bridget snapped, brushing back a piece of her hair that fell in front of her face and narrowed her gaze at him. But before she could continue, someone was at her side in an instant. Bridget was a bit startled to see Paul Lahote standing tall, basically towering over Steve.

    Steve's confident and cocky attitude was immediately diminished at the sight of Paul, his eyes widening in fear as Paul's menacing glare was enough to send a chill down Bridget's own spine. Bridget can't remember the last time she really spoke to Paul, probably that day at Emily's party. She has seen him at school plenty of times, the two have even caught one another sparing each other glances, but Bridget never made any attempt to speak to him and vice versa.

    She has spoken to Sam plenty of times on his runs on the beach. Hell, she has even joined him a couple times, still getting that comfortable and familiar feeling whenever around him. But she has declined his request to join him and Emily for dinner on multiple occasions during the summer. She is already breaking her rules if only slightly, but actually befriending him or even Briar for that matter would be pushing things too far.

    Without tearing his heated gaze from the male before him, he asked, "Is everything alright here?"

    "Yeah, man. Everything's great-" Steve started to ramble but Paul cut him off with a very strange noise. Almost like a growl that rippled from the back of his throat.

    "I wasn't talking to you." He snapped, tearing his vicious glare off the male before turning to the stunned blonde beside him.

    Bridget had to blink a couple times and push through the chill that went down her spine and the goosebumps on her arms. She was surprised by his sudden appearance, and his anger was as clear as day, but what he had to be so angry about? Bridget didn't know and it baffled her to see him like this, especially when his anger was directed towards the asshole cowering under Paul's heated stare.

    Clearing her throat, she pushed past whatever shock she was feeling and narrowed her eyes at him. "I got this handled, Paul. I'm not a damsel in distress."

    If Paul was offended, he didn't show it. Instead, he took a step back but did not leave, still remaining close to her side. Bridget tried her best not to let that have a huge effect on her as she finally turned back to Steve, who looked like he was about to run away like a frightened little girl.

    "Steven," she said, clearing her throat awkwardly and mustering all the strength to pretend like Paul wasn't standing by her side. Steve didn't bother to correct her this time. "Somewhere in that very large head of yours lives a very tiny brain cell that actually thinks that that whole conversation is smooth and charming. But in reality, you are making a complete ass of yourself and you should really feel embarrassed by the fact that you think degrading a woman is the best way to win her over. So please step out of my way and let me go wash this entire interaction off of me because I seriously feel gross just being in your presence."

    Steve stood there like a fish out of water, and she did not miss the corner of Paul's lip curl upwards, especially when Bridget patted Steve's cheek and walked around him, her three inch heels clapping against the tiles. She thought Paul would follow her but was surprised that he wasn't and despite everything in herself, Bridget looked back only to see he had disappeared completely, as well as Steve.

    Bridget frowned, heading to her car, the scene of Paul jumping in to make sure she was okay... it was very odd and she didn't know what to think of it. And for the entire drive home, she couldn't stop thinking about that low growl or his fierce intervention.

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    𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 for someone you don't really know isn't the most comfortable situation for Bridget, but seeing as this is the second time she has been invited to one, it wasn't as bad. At least she was with Rose, the two girls can be miserable together.

    And at least for Bridget, she can take the edge off with a glass of scotch, where Rosalie wished more than anything to be human just to be able to stand the taste. Rosalie claimed to be a scotch girl, another thing the two had in common.

    Alice insisted everyone was to dress up, which Bridget didn't have a problem with. She always looked for excuses to wear her more fancy dresses from her wardrobe. She decided to go for a silvery green silk dress with thin straps and a small slip down her right leg. She wore silver pumps to match and she pulled her hair into a high pony, two strains of her hair left out and curled.

    Emmett complimented that she looked better than the rest of them, with Rosalie's agreement. Bridget couldn't help but smile in triumph. If she was forced to make an appearance and to dress up, she was doing it right and outside the vampires and their ungodly beauty.

    Despite it just being the Cullens, Bridget and Bella, Alice had gone all out. She decorated the living room in a beautiful essence, a bunch of candles lit all over the room as well as a beautiful red and yellow rose bouquet spread all out. Soft music was playing on the radio, Bridget finding herself humming to the song. Alice went to retrieve the birthday girl and Edward from upstairs and it wasn't long before Bella rounded the corner, stopping dead in her tracks once she saw everything and everyone.

    Bridget finished her glass and set it aside, only having two glasses. She has never been one to drink too much. The last time she was really drunk was at the end of her two year bender in the early '80s, right after Alex died. She was living in motels and eating stuff from vending machines, refusing to work. It wasn't bad that she became a drunk, she just hit rock bottom to the point where she finally started to realize if Alex were to see what she had become, he'd be terribly disappointed in her.

    And the idea of letting him down after everything he sacrificed for her was more painful than even his death.

    She doesn't care for the feeling of being hungover, but she does like to have a drink or too whenever her anxiety would act up. She tried not to rely on it much, but every once in a blue moon won't kill her.

    Alice dragged the girl down the stairs, both Carlisle and Esme going to meet her. "Sorry about all this. We tried to rein Alice in."

    "As if that were possible," Esme chuckled before wrapping her arms around the brunette. "Happy birthday, Bella."

    "Thanks." Bella mumbled just as a flash went off and everyone turned towards Alice who gave an innocent smile, holding a camera.

    "I found it in your bag. Do you mind?"

    Bella just sheepishly shook her head. It seemed Bella has learned like the rest of them not to say no to Alice. Bridget is the only one who can really get away with it, mainly because Alice does respect her independence.

    Bridget then found herself in front of Bella and gave the brunette a genuine kind smile. "Happy birthday."

    Bella's face was a bit red from the attention as she nodded in appreciation. "Thanks, Bridget."

    "You first, Rose." Alice said from the blonde vampire's side. Rosalie just handed the girl the small box.

    "It's a necklace. Alice picked it out." Rosalie reluctantly said. Bella mumbled a small thanks just as Alice handed Bridget her own present she bought herself. Bridget handed it to the girl and smiled.

    "Edward said you like to read. We have that in common. Thought you'd enjoy this."

    Bella took the gift and unwrapped it, smiling at the title and the authentic cover. "'Jane Eyre'. I've actually been wanting to read this for a while. Thank you."

    Bridget nodded and took a step back as Alice handed the birthday girl another present, this time it was a much bigger box. "This one's from Emmett."

    Bella took the seemingly weightless box and frowned, shaking it and turning to the tall male on the staircase. He grinned with an arm around Rosalie. "Already installed it in your truck. Finally a decent sound system for that piece of..."

    "Hey! Don't hate the truck." Bella said in amusement, earning a couple of chuckles from the others, including Bridget.

    "Open Esme and Carlisle's!" Alice insisted, handing the girl the small envelope.

    Bella turned to the couple curiously and Carlise held his mate in his arms with a grin. "Just a little something to brighten your day."

    "Yes, you've been looking kind of pale lately." Esme mused.

    Bridget remained near Rosalie and Emmett, starting to think this party wasn't at all terrible and actually found herself enjoying herself, if only a little. She will admit, she had more fun at Emily's party on the reservation but this was just as nice, and at least she knew everyone here.

    She noticed Edward slightly turn to her but not fully, clearly having heard her thoughts. She then thought of her favorite Mozart song like she normally does to keep him from prying more. Edward met her gaze briefly before turning back to Bella, who began opening the envelope.

    That is when everything went to hell.

    One minute, everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves, the next Bella let out a tiny wince, holding up her hand to reveal her now bleeding finger and mumbling 'paper cut' under her breath.

    Back in '97 when Bridget was trying to decide if she should join the Cullens or remain on her own, she had asked Carlisle one major thing. What if she actually cut herself? Carlisle did not have a settling answer for her then. He basically said the only person to really worry about was Jasper, given how new he was to their lifestyle. But Carlisle also claimed that they would never let them be alone together and would protect her before anything bad happened.

    It was because of that explanation that Bridget avoided the curly haired blonde to the best of her ability for so many years. She made sure to never really be in the same room as him if the others weren't there and he is the main reason she only really came back to the house to sleep and shower.

    And this moment proved to her why that was a smart idea.

    Bridget wasn't sure what happened, exactly, everything happened at once. One minute she was standing there, the next someone was gripping her wrist and she was being shoved behind a body. It took Bridget a second to realize it was Rosalie who was shielding her from danger as Jasper was now in full predator mode. He stormed after Bella without even a second thought but Edward was able to shoved the girl so far back she went flying into the wall and crashing on the table.

    Edward then shoved Jasper so far back that he crashed into the piano. Bridget lets out a loud, terrifying gasp, having to still see the entire commotion from over Rosalie's shoulder. The girl was still holding onto her wrist from behind her, as Carlisle and Emmett both went to restrain Jasper, the blonde male fighting against them viciously, growling and seething like a savage.

    Bridget felt her insides twisting and turning. She began trembling as Alice tried to console her mate, telling him it was just a little blood but stopped half way, every vampire now stiff and frozen as they turned to the human on the ground, whose crash against the table shattered the glass vase and managed to cut her arm deeply, resulting in more blood pouring out of her arm.

    Bridget noticed Rosalie had gone still, also staring at the blood with a fierce hunger. Her friend was now squeezing her arm a bit harder than before but Bridget couldn't get the words out to tell Rosalie that she was hurting her. Everything was hitting her at once and what she just witnessed- the way Jasper snapped like that...

    She had never seen it before. The loss of control they always talked about, what Rosalie always hated about being what she was. In the eight years of being with them, Bridget has never once witnessed their true nature first hand. She had never seen hunger so strong or the loss of control. Eight years... Bridget had truly been blinded to it all.

    Now she had seen first hand how unhuman vampires were. How they can go from friend to predator in a split second.

    Bridget wasn't breathing. She forgot how to breathe. She didn't protest when she felt Rosalie pulling her away in the opposite direction from where Emmett and Esme had taken Jasper while Carlisle went to tend to Bella. He was the only one who seemed to not really be affected by it.

    "Centuries of learning control." Carlisle once told her back in New Orleans when they ran into each other for the second time in their long lives. He has had centuries to get this skilled at control, which makes sense why he became a doctor. He is around blood all the time and he is the only one out of the rest who was able to handle it. Edward couldn't even stay in the room with his own girlfriend. 

    Bridget was not in her bedroom, how she got there, she isn't sure. She is pretty sure Rosalie basically dragged her there and then forced her to sit down on her bed. Rosalie took a seat beside her and grabbed her hand in hers.

    "You are shaking really bad." She says in almost a whisper.

    It took everything in Bridget to find her voice, but forming a proper sentence was tricky. "I-I just- that w-was... that was-" but she couldn't get the words out. She was trembling way too much and she was so afraid. She has always been wary around them, but this is the first time she felt truly terrified of the people she had come to care for. Of the vampires she shares a home with.

    Rosalie did not need her to finish in order to understand what she was trying to say. She knew this was the first time Bridget had witnessed the true blood lust Rosalie had always explained to her, what Rosalie hated about herself most of all. Rosalie ran her hand in smooth calming circles on Bridget's back, but the latter couldn't calm down. All she saw was Jasper and the fact that Bella was hurt worse because of it by Edward attempting to protect her.

    Bridget doesn't even know when Rosalie left the room, she thought she heard her friend say something but nothing was processing for her at the moment. She felt like everything was crumbling around her... kept seeing Jasper attacking Bella. Her heart was going a mile a minute. Bridget brought her hand to her mouth and bit down on her knuckles, as a few terrifying sobs escaped her.

    She had never truly been afraid of the Cullens before. Eight years she has managed to remain in a bubble, not wanting to be alone. They were still good people... they were good. Bridget still believed that.

    But the ugly truth was that they were monsters. That could have easily been her. Carlisle had warned her of it but at the time, being alone any longer sounded worse than possible death. She isn't so sure about that now.
   

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Welcome to New Moon! Where Bridget's life will take an unexpected turn and her true journey can begin!

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter is gonna be a little intense, so prepare yourselves! Thanks for reading and the continuous support! Love you all!