Girl In Red (R.HALE)

13

"So," Leigh started, dragging the block of cheese over the grater edge. "You don't sleep? Like, at all?" 

"Nope," Carlisle said, smiling as he diced some mushrooms. 

Leigh wrinkled her nose. "What a sad life." 

"That's the bit that concerns you?" Emmett asked. "The lack of sleep?" 

"Yeah," she said. "I love sleep. You guys are missing out." 

Emmett snorted, shaking his head. 

Leigh grabbed a clove of garlic from the counter, wielding it in his direction. 

"Myth," Emmett said, batting it out of her hand. 

Carlisle's hand shot out, plucking it out of the air before it fell to the floor. 

Leigh pouted. "Disappointing." 

"Holy water doesn't do it, either," Emmett added. "Or crucifixes." 

"Ugh," she groaned. "So you actually are indestructible?" 

He winked at her.

"Not totally," Carlisle cut in. "Fire would destroy us, if we hung around long enough." 

Leigh eyed the pasta, but Emmett pointed at her in accusation. 

"Don't even think about it."

She shot him a rueful look, but went back to grating the cheese. 

Rosalie stood a little away from them, tossing some salad leaves in a crystalline glass bowl. Her face was still thunderous, her shoulders tensed, and she hadn't said a word since they'd first arrived. Leigh didn't know what was going on with her, so she didn't even bother to try and talk to her. She was enjoying her family's company well enough, despite their conversation topic centring around the fact that they were imperishable death-machines. 

"Doesn't the sun burn you?" Leigh asked. "I noticed you don't come in to school when the weather's good." 

Emmett grumbled something to himself, Carlisle and Esme glancing at him in amusement.

"Not exactly," Carlisle said. "We avoid being seen in the sunlight, but it doesn't harm us." 

Leigh frowned. "Why avoid it, then?" 

"Well, we, sort of," Carlisle started, shrugging, "sparkle."

The laugh burst from Leigh's lips before she could stop it. She clapped a hand over her mouth, muffling the sound. "Sorry." 

"I prefer coruscate," Emmett muttered.

Leigh threw her head back in laughter, shoulders shaking. 

"He gets insecure about it," Esme said, tossing some onion into a frying pan and smirking. 

"I do not," Emmett protested. 

Leigh tried to compose herself, going to wash her hands before she picked up the cheese again. 

Rosalie dropped the salad servers, the wood clattering against the glass of the bowl. All eyes in the room swivelled to her.

"Is she even Italian?" she asked, through gritted teeth.

Emmett shrugged. "Her name is Bella." 

"I'm sure she'll love it, no matter what," Carlisle said in an attempt to diffuse the situation. 

Rosalie's eyes were alight with what Leigh could only describe as fury. 

She had no idea what had changed in the blonde, but Leigh didn't like this version of Rosalie. Quietly seething and determined to stay that way. It was making her angry.