Swan Diaries (crossover between Twilight and The Vampire Diaries)

S I X ∘ Comptine d'un Autre été

It wasn't a big room like most auditoriums are. But this was a small school, in a small town.

I walked up the steps to the stage and sat at a beautiful grand piano. There was a folded card on top that read: donated by the Cullen family.

I snorted. Of course they had one of these.

It had been almost two decades since I'd played. I ran my hands lightly across the keys, pushing down on a few.

Taking a deep breath, I sat up straight, placed my fingers on the right keys, and shut my eyes.

Comptine d'un Autre été flowed easily, as if I hadn't stopped using this instrument all those years ago.

I felt eyes on me but barely registered them.

I smiled and started humming. These were one of the few moments I felt truly like myself. Nothing else mattered; nothing else even existed.

Focusing solely on the notes... Feeling the vibrating thrums of the chords at my feet... I felt alive.

The song came at an end too soon, and I sighed, finally opening my eyes.

"That was beautiful," a godly voice whispered. I jumped, looking over to see a tall figure saunter over to me. He stopped ten feet away, just barely out of the shadows, his eyes never leaving my face. "Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

I cleared my throat. "You didn't. Just caught me off guard." I gestured to the piano. "And thanks."

"How long have you played?"

I rose to my feet. "Oh... a while." I chuckled at my inside joke.

"I play, too." He smiled crookedly, and I gaped at his beauty. I never let myself notice before, but it was almost too obvious that the realization hurt. "I'm Edward Cullen."

I nodded. "I know. I'm Bella... Vincent."

"As in Coach Vincent?"

"He's my brother."

"Oh." He raised his eyebrows. "How come you're just now going to this school?"

I shrugged. "Change of scenery, I suppose."

"Where from?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I sighed. I hadn't prepared for this question, though I should've.

He chuckled, but his voice was abrupt. "My sincerest apologies. I'm intruding."

I waved my hand. "No, no. It's not that. I'm from a small town in Virginia." With the threat I felt from these odd people, it was better if I didn't share the name of my origin. "But I've spent most of my life in New Orleans. It's a long story." My voice wasn't very convincing.

I was so lost in thought that I barely heard the bell ring.

The boy's musical voice lifted me from my reverie. "Perhaps another time... May I walk you to your next class?"

Smiling, I picked up my bag from the seat next to me. "Is it not the same class as yours?"

"Right." He shook his head. "Even so. You shouldn't be all by yourself."

I chuckled. "I'm kind of a loner."

"So am I," he muttered, suddenly serious.

"I noticed."

He looked over at me abruptly as if I shouldn't have been able to hear him.

"I get it, you know," I continued, keeping my eyes low. I made my tone a tad dramatic for effect. Something I picked up from someone I loved throughout the years. "Feeling like you don't belong. Keeping to yourself. Not knowing if anyone would understand you. It sucks... being what we are."

"'What we are'?" he quoted, sounding vaguely nervous.

"Loners." I laughed. He did, too. Was he expecting me to say something else?

"You're definitely right about that. But you don't seem so alone to me. Aren't you friends with Ben Cheney and his group?"

"More or less." I shrugged. "We don't have a lot in common, though. Besides, we just met."

He nodded thoughtfully. We rounded the corner to our classroom, and he held the door open for me. I thanked him, and he smiled.

I don't think I'd ever seen him smile before. I made a small note to keep him that way more often. For some reason, it made me smile, too. I felt a strange connection to him. A strong tether.

We sat at our table in the back. Mr. Banner walked inside, towing the television stand behind him.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Angela asked me when she came in.

"Oh, sorry, I went to the auditorium. I had to catch up on some studies," I lied smoothly. She nodded.

When our teacher turned the lights off, I picked up my notebook from inside my bag. It was dark enough that no one would be able to see what I wrote.

This was the first step of my plan. Since I didn't have my grimoire with me, I'd pencil down some spells that might help me find a way back home.

The first thing I jotted down: Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Veras, Sequita Saguines, Ementas Asten Mihan Ega Petous. A locator spell, for me. I'd do that tonight, once I got a hold on a vial for my blood and a map.

Next: Prend ce message ce au le centre se levant. Sending a message over any distance. Bonnie taught me that one. She's the person I'd ask for help with it.

Usually, for big spells like the one I would eventually cast, I'd need something to bind it with. A recurring celestial event, doppelgänger blood, a hybrid's heart... I didn't think the full moon would be powerful enough for this.

This is probably gonna take me the longest to orchestrate.

I sighed and closed my notebook.

"Are you all right?"

I looked to my right, and Edward was leaning toward me. I froze instinctively.

His scent washed over me. He smelled amazing—like honey, lilac, and sunshine.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. "I'm fine."

I shoved the notebook into my bag, then laid my cheek on the desk. The cold tabletop felt nice against my skin. I shut my eyes.