The Witch and Her Vampire

Twenty-Eight

I gazed at myself in the mirror in Alice's room, brows furrowed as I took in my appearance; it was the dance at Forks High, and Rosalie had decided to invite me as her plus one...her date.

So, Alice had taken it upon herself to help me get ready, for I wasn't exactly the girliest teen alive and though Hermione had helped rein in her need to put me in something a bit too flashy, it was still strange to be wearing a dress and heels.

The dress was a deep purple in color and fit me nicely, hanging to just above my knees, and I wore black heels as well.

My raven hair hung in neat curls down my back, and my gray eyes seemed to glow, with my lips a bright pink from the gloss Alice had forced me to apply; my fair skin hadn't needed much work, considering it's flawless quality....except....

The scar.

I grimaced.

"You look great," Hermione told me, smiling slightly. She wasn't going to the dance, instead choosing to spend time with the other Cullens. I had taken her to see Jacob a while back and while they had hit it off, she had been too busy to do much lately.

"No thanks to you," shot back Alice teasingly. "I did all the work."

"I helped!"

"Sure...."

Hermione glowered at her, though I could tell by the playful glint in her eyes that she didn't mean it; she was happier here.

I'll never know how Hermione convinced me to go with her, but next year I'll be a senior at plain old muggle school Forks High.

I mean, it was strange, knowing I'd be coming back for my senior year next year, re-meeting people I had once known as a child that would surely remember me, and if not, would be told who I was.

There would be rumors, but I had faced far worse at Hogwarts.

"Now—" Hermione pushed me lightly out the door, Alice not too far behind. "—get a move on, Rosalie is waiting."

We descended the stairs, and I found Rosalie waiting in a strapless black dress and heels, and....well, to put it bluntly, I froze.

Alice shoved me forward a few steps until Rose and I were a foot or so apart, and I blinked once.

Twice.

Three times.

"Carina?" said Emmett, waving his hand in my face. When I didn't move, he snickered. "You broke her, guys!"

I blinked once more and remembered where I was.

Hermione shot me a smirk. Infatuated, much?

I glared at her. No. My eyes flickered to my soulmate. Maybe. Ah, shut up.

She quirked a brow at me, chuckling. You're Carina Black, you're supposed to be wooing her.

I quickly nodded. You're right.

The vampires of the room watched the exchange with amused eyes, though I could feel the curiosity there about what we were saying.

"You look gorgeous," I said to Rosalie sincerely, flashing her a smile. I ducked my head at the dazzling smile she gave me. "Unlike me and my disfigured self."

"You look amazing," Rosalie told me softly, stepping forward and ghosting her fingers across my cheek—across my scar, before tapping it gently. "And this is nothing."

I was unable to stop myself from coloring slightly, cheeks heating up—what was it about her that unraveled me so?—before I hastily collected myself and grabbed her hand. "We'd better get a move on."