A New Cullen Life

Chapter 9

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Because I am so peculiar. Nothing seems to be going right."

"Which is why we are going to seek help from the Volturi. Speaking of which, how are you feeling about going to Italy?" queried Rosalie gently. The dark-haired vampire fell silent and watched the water cascade down the cliff.

"Anxious," she began hesitantly, "because we don't know what news it will bring. Five months ago, I'd made peace with the fact that I was going to die. It was inevitable, and I was sick of fighting. I had nothing left. I hadn't gone down without a fight, but I had to admit defeat and let the disease win, because nothing could have saved me. Then I met Mom and Dad, and then you and Ali, and the others, then Alair and Blythe. And I was suddenly part of a family, and I was loved, and-"

"And now you have a reason to keep fighting?" guessed Rosalie, her golden eyes troubled and worried.

"Yeah," Amelia breathed quietly. The pair fell silent as another pair of feet approached them.

"Guten Tag!" greeted Blythe, plopping down next to Amelia.

"Hey Bee," grinned Amelia.

"Is it time already?" queried Rosalie.

"That would be correct," Blythe nodded, offering a resigned smile. Rosalie sighed, and stood up, bidding farewell to her sisters.

"Where are you off to, Rosie?" queried Amelia, chewing on her lower lip in worry.

"Your memorial service, kiddo," she replied, "we've got to keep playing the part of a grieving family."

"Oh," Amelia was taken aback, having not considered the possibility of a service of any kind for herself, "what about the body?"

"We had your body 'cremated'," Rosalie made quotation marks in the air with her fingers, "so there is no body involved."

"If Dad is having a priest preside-"

"Nope. Simon is doing it," Rosalie cut her off, "I'll see you later, Mia-bug. I need to go."

"Uncle Simon is here?" Amelia asked of Blythe.

"Yes he is. A lot of your orchestra friends drove out. They've been speaking of having a concert for you."

"They do one for my mother every year. It is unnecessary to do one for me as well."

"They want to make a scholarship fund in your name as well," remarked Blythe, "using some of the money from the trust fund that was set up in your name."

"But why? That makes no sense. Maman was the musician, not me."

"You were a prodigy, Mia. I've never encountered someone with as much talent as you, and I've been around for a long time. You started composing your own music at what age, eight? That is raw talent, mein Schätzchen."

"Ten. Besides, Mozart was doing it far earlier than me," she retorted.

"Yeah, well, it's Mozart. Duh," Blythe rolled her eyes and nudged her sister. Sister. The word gave her a small trill of delight every time she referred to the Cullen 'children' as her siblings. I have a family.

"Whatever, Blythe."

The girls fell into companionable silence, both of them lost in their thoughts. Amelia got up and started walking towards the waterfall itself, Blythe shadowing her. She took her responsibility as a newly-appointed elder sister very seriously.