Lesson 9: Twilight

 

Immediately my mind responded with a resounding negative. It was silly and morbid to entertain such ridiculous notions. But what, then? I asked myself. There was no  explanation for how I was alive at this moment. I listed again in my head the things I’d observed myself: the impossible speed and strength, the eye color shifting from black to gold and back again, the inhuman beauty, the pale, frigid skin. And more — small things that registered slowly — how they never seemed to eat, the disturbing grace with which they moved. And the way be sometimes spoke, with unfamiliar cadences and phrases that better fit the style of a turn-of-the-century novel than that of a twenty-first-century classroom. He had skipped class the day we’d done blood typing. He hadn’t said no to the beach trip till he heard where we were going. He seemed to know what everyone around him was thinking… except me. He had told me he was the villain, dangerous…

Could the Cullens be vampires?

Well, they were something. Something outside the possibility of rational justification was taking place in front of my incredulous eyes. Whether it be Jacob’s cold ones or my own superhero theory, Edward Cullen was not… human. He was something more.

So then — maybe. That would have to be my answer for now.

And then the most important question of all. What was I going to do if it was true?

If Edward was a vampire — I could hardly make myself think the words — then what should I do?

Involving someone else was definitely out. I couldn’t even believe myself; anyone I told would have me committed. Only two options seemed practical. The first was to take his advice: to be smart, to avoid him as much as possible. To cancel our plans, to go back to ignoring him as far as I was able. To pretend there was an impenetrably thick glass wall between us in the one class where we were forced together. To tell him to leave me alone — and mean it this time.

 

Vocabulary:

 

Resounding: Very loud or strong.

Example sentence: The room was filled with resounding applause.

 

Morbid: Showing too much interest in unpleasant things such as death.

Example sentence: He had a a morbid fascination with death.

 

Ridiculous: Very silly.

Example sentence: I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous.

 

Notion: An idea or belief.

Example sentence: The notion of sharing is hard for most children.

 

Rational: Based on facts and not affected by emotion. To make sense. 

Example sentence: She gave a very rational response to the question.

 

Observe: To watch someone or something carefully.

Example sentence: Children learn by observing adults.

 

Shift: A change in something.

Example sentence: There has been a shift in the weather.

 

Hardly: Not much, almost not.

Example sentence:  We’ve hardly ever spoken to each other.

 

Impenetrable: Impossible to see through or go through.

Example sentence: This fog is impenetrable!