The Cullen Project *Editing*

Chapter Three~*Editing

Chapter Three
*Editing
Elizabeth Carlyle Cullen

"I'm Claire," she said, walking up to me. "You must be Elizabeth." I nodded a little.

We stared at each other for awhile, taking in each other's presence.

"Gosh, you're pretty!" we exclaimed at the same time. We had a giggle fit.

Claire was pretty, though. She was gorgeous! She had a pretty face with well defined features. Her eyes weren't quite black; they were like the color of pure coffee. Her lashes were so long that they brushed the top of her cheekbones when she blinked, just like mine. Her hair was shorter than mine though; mine fell to my hips in curls, while she had long, straight black hair that fell to the middle of her back like a satin sheet. She was shorter than me, of course, but not too short.

"You're hair is amazing!" I said, admiring its silkiness.

"Yours too!" We smiled at each other again. "Come on, we need some girl bonding time. Let's go for a walk," Claire suggested, linking our arms. We walked to the front yard and into a trail in the woods. After a while of walking in silence we started up a conversation.

"So how old are you, anyway?" Claire asked me.

"I've recently turned seventeen. And you?"

"Eighteen." She said. "And a half," she added after a pause.

"Well, the age difference isn't too bad." I commented. She nodded her head in agreement and we sat down on a nearby log.

We sat there, exchanging interests, and getting to know each other better. I found out that she and Quil have been dating for almost three years, and that she spends the summer with Emily and Sam a lot. She is close to Lucas, who is actually her cousin, and Caleb too, though the age difference makes it a bit harder.

I told her a bit about life in Florida, and some of my interests too, like playing the piano. I told her about one really good friend I had back at home, Ismene. I didn't get into the boy drama.

"Your make-up is smeared," she noticed, looking at me curiously. "Were you crying earlier?"

I looked down at the leaves on the trail. "Maybe," I said slowly. Claire studied my face again. I looked at her, confused.

"What's your story, Elizabeth?" She asked looking into my eyes. "I know there is one. I can tell by your eyes, which by the way, are a very pretty shade of green. They're the same color of this stone we looked at in science a few years ago. I can't remember what it's called."

"Peridot?" I guess. Her eyes lit up.

"That's the one! But anyway, back to the point." She looked at me sincerely. I sighed.

"You know, I barely know you, yet you're the first person that can actually see through me."

Claire smiled.

"No pretty, rich girl is just a pretty, rich girl!" She teased. I laughed at that.

"It's true," I said, sighing again. I tried to think of where to start. "Well, you know my mom is gone and my dad isn't exactly around."

"Yeah."

"And that for some odd reason, my grandfather-not Charlie, Carlisle-decided to leave my mother and my grandma Renée tons of money and the checks never stopped coming."

"Something like that."

"Well I guess that explains the rich part. Oh and Phil eventually made Major League, so I guess that contributed to the money."