- Cody

I was fooling around with the guys when I saw her. She drove into the parking lot in a sleek, black cobalt, and stepped timidly onto the pavement as if she was afraid the ground would move out from under her. It was not the expensive car or her breathtaking appearance that had my attention, it was her not so graceful entrance. Before I could even yell out a warning, her long, black heel got stuck in a crack and she went sprawling to the ground. The guys around me, alerted by the sudden thud, let out loud hoots seeing her all crumpled in the dirt. I suppressed my laughter as her appraising eyes focused on the five of us, turning cold when they made it to me. I shuddered at the hatred that seemed to bore out from her gaze. Not able to avert my eyes, I studied her. She wore her hair in a tight bun, giving her a no-nonsense look, which was probably the look she was going for. I never got the chance to see what she was wearing because my gaze stopped at her eyes. Although they were still burning with fury, I could not help but realize how startling beautiful they were. They were a deep brown with a hint of gold sparkling in the very depths of them. What surprised me the most was the way her eyes seemed to be filled with sorrow, even haunted, with something that she kept bottled up inside of her. Right at that moment I wanted to unlock all of this girl's mysteries, figure her all out. With a grin, I realized that would be difficult, for she her eyes were pinned to mine, still seething.

- Bella

I can not believe those idiots! Here I was, laying on the ground unable to move and all they did was laugh into hysterics! One of them, trying to keep his cool, gawked at me as if he had never seen a girl make a spectacle of herself. The rest of the group were no longer paying attention to me, for they were too busy doubling over in laughter. He seemed to study me for what seemed like an eternity before walking over. He stopped, inches away from my position on the ground and I had to crane my neck to keep his face in view. He offered me his hand and not wanting to seem dependent, I shook my head and heaved myself to my feet. He rolled his eyes in amusement, a smile pulling at his lips. "You sure are something else," he said. I ignored him and started to walk away. Before I got far, I felt his hand touch my arm. Now his gaze was blazing with intensity. "I am sorry if we offended you." "I'm not offended by your friends," I replied evenly, "I am offended that all you could do was stare at me as if I was a piece of meat at the grocery store, trying to decide if I was good enough to purchase." His smile transformed into a hard, straight line. "Do you always treat people like dirt? he demanded. "Only the ones that I dislike." He held up his hands in surrender, backed away as if I was a ticking bomb, turned on his heel, and stalked angrily away. I let out a sigh, it was for the best that I keep my distance. I can not let anyone get close, not after what happened last time.

- Cody

I did my research; her name was Bella Lombardy. She came from a small town called Everwood and moved here to help take care of her ailing mother. Maybe that was the source of the pain I have seen glinting in her eyes, the anxiety of losing a loved one. The anger I felt when she accused me of hitting on her erased instantly and it was replaced with sympathy. It angered me that something could make Bella so distressed that she had to separate herself from the rest of her peers. It angered me even more that I could not stop the pain that engulfed her, for I was no doctor and I certainly was no superman.

- Bella

I woke up screaming again. It had been the same nightmare that I have been having since I met the boy at the school parking lot. In the dream, I let him get close, very close. I remembered how his dark eyes looked when he took me in. How his lips felt when they grazed my skin. He had whispered his devotion to me, his sweet breath tickling my ear. Out of no where my mother appeared, she was holding a knife and her smile was pure evil. Before I could stop her, she stabbed the unsuspecting boy in the back. He let out a shriek of pain and his eyes rolled back. My mother let out a cackle and stabbed him repeatedly until his pummeled body was unrecognizable to my very eyes. I could not breath through my shock. I sat motionless, staring at the boy that now lay in a mangled heap. I realized he would never talk, laugh, eat, or love ever again because of me, and that was when my shock broke and I started to scream.

- Cody

I saw her in school. She walked through the halls with her eyes looking straight ahead, not looking at anything or anyone. I wanted to change that, so I walked over to her, a friendly smile on my face. She took one look at me and continued to walk, not caring if I followed. "Wait!" I panted, making an effort to keep up with her increasing pace. "Why are you following me?" she hissed. Her furious tone struck a chord, I was no longer sympathetic or understanding. "Listen, ice queen." I snapped. "Do you have any idea how hard I am trying to make you feel welcome here? Every time I try to talk to you you blow me off, as if you are too good for me and anyone else in this town. I have been trying to dismiss your attitude because I found out about your sick mother, but enough is enough. You can't treat people like crap and still think you're going to make friends here!" Her eyes, before cold and hard, softened and I could of sworn I saw tears fill her beautiful brown eyes. "I don't want to make friends," she whispered. She gave me a sad smile, a little wave and then she disappeared into the throng of people. This girl confuses the hell out of me. She makes me feel furious at one moment and intrigued the next. I have never met a girl quite like her and I had this gut feeling that I never will.

- Bella

"Cody." I spoke his name out loud, suddenly terrified when my heart sped up at just the sound of it. I could not have feelings for this boy, I owed it to myself and to him not to. I should know better than to start caring about someone that would only have the same fate as Edward. Edward. My first love, my first lover. I was surprised when I felt tears running down my face. Ever since his murder, I became numb whenever I would think about him. I have never cried or mourned over his death until now. I was no longer numb. I felt wave after wave of pain, not knowing if or when it would ever stop. I had to pull myself together before she came home. She can not know how deeply effected I was by her unforgivable crime. I heard a door open and slam. She was home. Before she even made it to my room, I knew she had been drinking. Pounding on my door, she howled at me to open up. When I did not respond, she kicked down the door as if it was made of paper. She took one look at my tear stained face and her lips broke out into a huge grin. "Who is my next victim?" I could not breath, this could be happening, not again. I came to this town to keep her close, to make sure she would never hurt anyone else I cared about. She was going to do that anyways; my mother was going to kill Cody.

- Cody

Bella was different in school today; she seemed to have gone through a personality change. When our eyes met in the hallway she didn't greet me with her usual scowl, instead she gave me a huge smile and a wave. I was taken aback. On normal circumstances I would have taken advantage of her positive mood. But this was no normal circumstance. Something was going on with Bella Lombardy and I had a gut feeling that there was more to her than I originally thought. I may have gotten it all wrong; Bella's sick mother could not be her whole issue, it didn't fit. It was only until now that I realized how obsessed I was with this girl that I barely knew. I don't think, even if I wanted to, I would be able to disentangle myself from Bella and all of her mysteries.

- Bella

My mother came down while I was eating breakfast. She had with her several rolls of duck tape, five coils of rope, a bow and arrow, and a bottle of whiskey. She shot me a smile that was filled with mischief and murder. I couldn't breath. My memories kept replaying themselves in my mind, Edward's smile, all of the blood pouring out of his head, his screams of pain and anguish...All at once the memories switched to Cody. Innocent and beautiful Cody. I would save him.

- Cody

Before I could approach her, Bella approached me. She headed uncertainly in my direction, her steps hesitant and her smile shy. I felt my pulse speed up, making me dizzy; I had to sit down. When she made it to where I now sat, she stood awkwardly, searching for words to say. She finally whispered, "Can I talk to you outside?" I agreed with a nod of my head and together we made our way through the throng of bodies to the two exit doors. She led me to the far edge of the school property, probably to have some privacy. I was about to open my mouth to help ease the tension but stopped when she spoke first. "Forgive me for what I am about to do." Acting on my confused glance, Bella grabbed both of my arms, and with surprising force, flipped me from my standing position. Shocked and bewildered, I lied on the ground, fighting unconsciousness, but soon I gave up, welcoming the sudden darkness.

- Bella

I watched Cody’s chest rise and fall, guiltily realizing that I could have done considerable damage to him when I knocked him out. Not wanting to bring attention to myself and to Cody’s unconscious body, I dragged him into the backseat of my cobalt and quickly revved up the engine. I felt the seat vibrate from the power of the car and picked up momentum pulling out from its spot on the curb. As I screeched out of the school parking lot, I realized I would have to act more casual or I would look suspicious; I eased up on the gas. Every two minutes or so I peered at Cody from the review mirror, planning to knock him out again as soon as he came back to his conscious state. For good measure, I had blindfolded him with a few of my scarves and I had tied his legs and arms together. I was so busy checking on his constraints that I was not paying attention to the road. When I finally brought my eyes back to the front of the car, I realized in horror that I was about to crash into a figure walking across the pavement! For a split second, I locked eyes with my victim, her eyes stared right back at me, unflinching and untroubled. My hands, reflexively swerving to miss her, changed their course as recognition hit me, and I pressed my foot on the gas pedal, willing myself not to miss this easy target.

- Cody

Flashes of images went through my head as I lay in the uncomfortable darkness. I saw Bella's face, beautiful and fearful circulating in my memories and soon I spotted the same face, this time filled with dread and agony. I felt my eyes flutter, awakening from my sleepless slumber. Completely conscious now, I blinked, trying to clear the darkness that was still overwhelming me. When I still saw nothing but black, I began to feel very alarmed. I started moving rapidly, my heart accelerating when I realized that I was not only blind, I was also confined. Somehow through my struggles, I managed to break free from the dark and slivers of light crept into my line of vision. While letting my eyes get accustomed to the sudden light, I strained my ears to give me a clue of my whereabouts. Hearing the roar of the wind and the squeal of tires, I concluded that I was in some type of vehicle. Regaining my sight after a few brutal moments of squinting, I also recognized the driver of the vehicle, the cobalt to be exact; Bella was behind the wheel. Before I could open my mouth and demand what the hell was going on, I witnessed a look that I have never seen on Bella's face, a muderous expression of hate and revulsion. Following the path where her infuriated eyes were fixed, I saw a middle aged woman in the center of the road, getting ready for the impact of a 120 miles per hour sports car.

- Bella

How dare she try to harm poor, innocent, sweet, precious Cody! She already murdered one person I loved and I will not let her harm another one! I felt adrenaline surge through me and my hands tighten on the steering wheel. I made my eyes focus on my target, letting my foot press even harder on the accelerator. As I came close enough to see the terror in her eyes, they reminded me of the terror in Edward’s eyes, from the horror of what she was going to do to him. Right before the impact of metal against flesh, I suddenly yanked the steering wheel to the right, sending Cody and I to our deaths as we swerved off the road. The last thoughts I had before drifting to unconsciousness was that I had become just like her.