sparks fly~ paul lahote

ⅹⅱ. vampires and sadness

Bella had called Diana to come visit her. Which wouldn't have been strange except... it was dark out, nighttime. Diana really couldn't think of anything Bella might want to do at this hour.

So, the two sat in Bella's room. Diana took her time, looking around, familiarizing herself with Bella's private life. The pictures on her dresser, the notes sticking out of books on their shelves, the half-finished essay on her desk.

"Not done with this yet? I finished last week," Diana bragged, jokingly. But Bella didn't laugh or even chuckle, she seemed distracted.

"Hey, I know something's up, so do us both a favor and spit it out."

Diana didn't mean to sound harsh, but she knew Bella wasn't offended anyhow. Diana sighed and plopped beside her, it seemed as if the brunette was working up the courage to say exactly what was up, exactly what was on her mind.

And she did, "Do you know where he is?"

Diana turned to her, confusion written on her face, "What?"

Bella swallowed, retracing her steps, "I think you're a vampire."

Diana raised her brows in understanding, "Ah," she sighed. She had wanted to tell the brunette, she favored her relationship with the girl, she just didn't know how.

"Why do you think that?" She asked.

"At first, it was just puzzle pieces, like with Edward. I was thrown off by your warmth, then, you never eat anything. I figured it out yesterday, I wanted to drive by their house and I saw your car," Bella paused.

Diana nodded, frowning slightly, "And you're not mad I didn't tell you anything?"

Bella hesitated, then shook her head, "If I'm right, then, I want to be, but I know why you didn't say anything."

Diana looked up to see Bella smiling slightly and she nodded, "You are, you know? You're right."

The girl was her friend, her first friend in a long time. But, even though Bella now knew Diana's deepest secret, she wanted to know more.

"Are you... related to them at all?" Bella asked. She wanted some answers, if not Edward's location, it would have to be Diana's place in all the mess.

Diana nodded, a sad smile on her face. Bella noticed her eyes tearing up a bit, "I guess I'm not exactly surprised he never told you about me."

"Who? Edward?"

Diana nodded again, this time she stood and walked over to the window, "Edward is my brother, Bella. We're biological siblings, fraternal twins."

Bella shook her head in disbelief, "I mean, I see the resemblance, but that doesn't make any sense; why wouldn't he say anything?"

"Because he hates me," Diana chuckled, dryly, "Did he tell you Carlisle turned him?"

She looked over to see Bella nodding at her. "Well," she sighed, it was her turn to gather the courage to speak, "-that's a lie. I did it."

Bella's eyes widened, "What? Wait, so was he even dying?"

"Oh, yes, he'd had the Spanish influenza for months and he wasn't getting better. When Carlisle came to tell me he wasn't doing good, I just couldn't let him die..."

Bella sat quietly, as Diana slid down the wall. Now sitting and hugging her knees to her chest she continued.

"I didn't want to be alone..." she whispered. As if it were a secret no one else knew. "My mother and father had died, and my friends had either moved or died, not that I could tell them about me being a vampire. I didn't... I just couldn't lose him, too."