The Meltdown-Chapter Five

He told Anna all about his stay. They hunted early that morning then hanged for school. This time he felt alot better about seeing her. He felt more in control.

Beatriz wandered down the hallway, somewhat absentmindedly. Her eyes scanned the various room numbers. She was thinking about...everything and nothing, all at once. She was trying not to focus on the fact that she would need to get another job, in order to support her younger sister. She was hoping she wouldn't run into Caspian or Anna. Beatriz had so much on her plate...she just couldn't deal with them right now.
Speaking of things on her plate, she also had to worry about her mental state. She was slipping up. Again. That call to her mom? Disastrous. If she could, she would have erased the entire thing. If only she had a time machine.

Caspian drove to school with Anna. When they got to school early (since he drove like a speed demon), they went to class as usual. He had stopped by the office to make sure his absences were covered.

Beatriz sat down in her first class, opening up her notebook. She carefully pressed down the edges of the pages. Frustrated, she bit her lip. It just didn't feel right. As the rest of the class was filing in, Beatriz was still trying to get the perforated edge of the pages to fold down neatly. It wasn't working. Tears of anger filled her eyes, winding its way down her cheeks. Her seatmate was staring now. Bea was sure the girl might have said something like, "Are you okay?" but she heard nothing. She could only angily focus on this notebook in front of her, this thing that was taking up so much of her time. She was freaking out. Again. Please, anywhere but here, Beatriz thought to herself. Her OCD couldn't flare up here, during class.
Even the teacher was staring now. Luckily, she knew that Beatriz had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. "Everyone, start working on chapter one. Do every problem," the teacher demanded. The students all turned back to their assignments, too shocked to respond. The teacher approached Beatriz, crouching down beside her. "Let's get you to the counseling office," she said, pulling gently on Beatriz's arm to help her stand up.

He was sitting down in the counseling office, waiting for the counselor to see him and check on his absences when he smelled a hint of someone he'd missed for days on end. But it hit him strong even from far away. Being away from her, like Edward said, made it only harder at first. Only if he was away for long, months on end, then it would be second to his love for her. But he didn't want to do that and Edward didn't suggest it. He cringed when talking about it.

Beatriz sat down in the chair outside the counseling office, hunched over. She was just falling apart. The tears wouldn't stop coming. Her father was gone, her mom and little sister had disappeared off planet earth, she didn't have the money to pay for anything, and now her OCD was coming back. What was she going to do? She was just a kid! She didn't have money for medication or a psychologist! What could she do?

He watched her tears fall and fought with his desire to help. He knew it wouldn't help her. How long would he be able to stay away? He remembered when Edward told him that he tried, he failed (obviously). But what could he say? She was probably freaked out because she wasn't Bella. He quickly pulled out his phone and texted Edward, asking him for a favor. If he could maybe come down and help him get insight on her mind sometime...but for now it would have to wait. He quietly picked up a tissue and held it out to her. She hoped THAT didn't freak her out. Friend first. Keep it light, he thought to himself. That's what Edward had suggested.

Beatriz turned to look at the person offering a tissue, her hand already outstretched to take it. When she saw Caspian's face, her eyes widened in horror. No! It was him! It was the person who had caused her all of this pain and suffering! She stood up, nearly tripping over the chair leg. "Get the heck away from me!" she screeched angrily. Beatriz waved her hand frantically, trying to bat away unseen forces. "Just get away!"

He just looked down and away as the feeling of rejection swelled and punched at his dead heart. "I apologize for scaring you. Please, don't make a scene. I'll sit somewhere else if you want me to" he said in a desolate voice, getting up slowly, feeling like his heart was weighing him down. He walked to the other side of the little waiting room and sat down as far away from her as possible.

Beatriz's hands were shaking. She placed them on the armrests of the waiting room chair and took in her breath in little short gasps of air. She had to calm down. She just had to calm down. If she didn't...people might figure out what was going on. They might realize that the two of them-Beatriz and Rosita-had been abandoned. Again. People might have them separated into foster homes. She wouldn't be able to take that. She had to be with Rosita. That meant she would have to pretend she was alright, it was merely a minor breakdown. Beatriz didn't know how she could accomplish such a mighty feat. She just knew she'd have to.

The Return-Chapter Four

Beatriz stood, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. She couldn't see anymore. The forest was shrouded in darkness. Why had she stayed here so long? She shook her head, struggling in vain to clear it. She felt so confused.
"Bea?" a voice whispered, and suddenly Rosita wrapped her sister in a bear hug. "Thank goodness you're still here!" Rosita stepped back, and Beatriz saw that her eyes were shining with tears. "I thought...I thought you had...left me."
Beatriz looked into her sister's eyes. Her breath became caught in her throat. She couldn't believe that she had done this to her. When she looked at Rosi, she could only see herself. She saw herself standing in the doorway, staring after her mom as she tossed her suitcase into the trunk. "Mommy, please don't leave," Beatriz had begged. "Please." Her mother had simply looked back, then away, and slammed the car door. The tires had squealed along the road as she drove away.
"I'm sorry," Beatriz said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I would never leave you. We're a family. And even if everyone else leaves us, like mom, and dad, and María, that doesn't change anything. We're still sisters."
"Okay," Rosita whispered.
"Let's go home," Beatriz said. Rosita rested her head on her shoulder, and together, like that, they walked home.

Caspian watched this, his eyes having that same dry feeling again. He couldn't have her. Ever. He couldn't tear her away from her sister, that would be selfish and devistating to them both. With this he realized that maybe he should just try to move on. To try and leave her, only to eventually come back. He knew he would but for now, her life was complicated enough.

"You want to eat something?" Beatriz said once they were inside.
Rosita smiled sadly. "No, I think I'm just going to go to sleep. You should too."
"Yeah," Beatriz nodded, sticking her hands in her pocket and shuffling her feet.
Rosita started up the stairs, then stopped halfway. "We should call Tía Marta tomorrow. We can't do this alone."
"Yeah," she nodded insincerely. "We should."
"Okay," Rosita shrugged, then started upstairs.

They began to run home in silence. They stayed together in the treetops and Caspian kept quiet. He was warring within himself. Should he leave and let her be normal with her sister, not complicating anything? To assume she didn't care for him in the least? Come back for her later? Or should he stay and wait until she lets her sister go on her own, keeping his feelings to himself? Could he?

"You are not going to go to see her," Anna said firmly. "Period."

Beatriz turned out all of the inside lights and sat on her bed. Her light was off. Darkness filled the room. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. She sighed. She was afraid. She didn't want to sleep by herself. She felt like such a baby for thinking that, but it was true.
There was a knock on the door, and Rosita peered inside. "Could I...sleep in here tonight?"
"Sure," Beatriz said. She patted her bed, then stood up. "I'll be right back, alright?"

He sighed. "I know that Anna. We...I might have to leave" he finally said, leaving it open-ended.

Anna said nothing, continuing to run through the treetops. She was thinking about it, about how much better it might be for him to be far from her, or how much worse it could possibly be. After a few moments of pondering over this, she said, "Yeah. We have to." Before Caspian could add anything else, she did it herself. "Just for a bit." Her tone left no room for arguments.

Beatriz switched into her pajamas and tiptoed back inside. Rosita was tucked tightly into Bea's bed, snoring softly. Her teddy bear was underneath the blankets, supposedly so her older sister wouldn't see it. She smiled. As she tucked herself in beside her hermana menor, she thought that maybe, just maybe, things could be okay again.

"No Anna, not we. Just me. You have to stay and keep up our appearance" he said quietly.

Anna didn't reply, still thinking about this. He was probably right. "Go see Carlisle," she said. "Stay with him for a while. He won't mind. I heard Ed's going through the same sort of thing."

Caspian sighed. "I'll call him when we get home" he said in a desolate tone.

"No," Anna said firmly. "I think you should go now. Ed's about your size, right? Just go. If you wait until you get home, you'll have second thoughts. I'll send you anything I think you'll need." With that final word, she sped up, until she was far ahead of him. Even he wouldn't be able to catch up.

Caspian shook his head. Why would she leave him on his own? He had to go see her again? He knew he would as soon as he started running.

In the middle of the night, Beatriz couldn't sleep. She slipped out of the bed, being sure not to stir Rosita. She tiptoed out of the room with her cellphone, easing into the living room. Once there, she dialed her mom's phone. She knew she wouldn't answer. Of course she wouldn't. Why would she? She probably had a new life with María, new kids, and a new husband. She wouldn't care about her old family anymore. She knew that was true. But Beatriz couldn't help but call.
When the voicemail came on, Beatriz swallowed, hard, and whispered, "Mamá? Por favor...es Beatriz. Tú hija. Please...come back. Everything's a mess. No sé nada...I don't know what to do, Mom. Please. Come back." Before her message could get even more garbled and become Spanglish, Beatriz hung up. She rested her head in her hands. What would she do?

As he headed to her house he realized that he shouldn't. Edward would know more than he ever could since it had been a while Carlisle said. When he got there the whole house was abuzz. He knocked on the door only for Carlisle to answer it. He didn't have to say anything because Edward began to speak to him, knowing his thoughts. Then Caspian smelled something sweet but not as good as Beatriz. He tensed while she walked to him but he didn't move. They talked all night even when Alice took Bella home. They talked for a day and a half straight since it was the weekend. Then Caspian headed home so that Edward could pick up Bella. He also mentioned they had just announced their wedding. He got home at night and went to see Anna.

Beatriz sat, stirring her tea at the kitchen table, when Rosita clambered downstairs. "'Morning," Beatriz said.
Rosita grunted in reply. She wandered over to the fridge, flinging the door open. After a moment of thought, she announced finally, "There is nothing to eat."
Beatriz shrugged, sighing. "Rose. We don't have any money right now, you know. My job at the bookstore can't pay for electricity, water, gas, and food, alright? I can't do everything!" Before she could break down into tears, Beatriz sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. She tried not to look at Rosita. By now, her sister must have figured out that she was losing it. Bea knew she needed to go back to her old psychologist. She just didn't have the money to do it.
"Are...you okay?" Rosita asked carefully. A few years prior, Beatriz had suffered from depression and other mental illnesses. She even went through a brief period of hospitalization. Usually, Rose danced around the subject of illness. She knew that it would have to be addressed.
"Yeah," Beatriz said, standing. She dumped her tea into the sink. She had mostly just stirred it around, sipping a bit here and there. It was nearly full. She nodded uncertainly. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" To change the subject, Bea glanced down at her watch. "School's about to start. Get ready."

The Great Escape Chapter Three

He had to follow Anna around while she did things. He was basically in chains but he ached so bad right then. He asked her to hold him while he tried to get away. He felt like she was in pain and he wanted to do something.

Beatriz dropped the bedspread and wondered to the doorway. Rosita was still sitting in the same spot, rocking back and forth. Bea looked away. She didn't know what to do. She was just a kid. Why did everyone expect her to fix everything, all the time? She just knew she couldn't. At least, not today. Not right now.
She raced down the steps and flung open the front door. She had to get out, even if it was only for a little while.

After a 'love crazy man' episode, or so his sister called it, he settled down and his sister let him go. But suddenly, he leaped up and sprinted out the door before his sister could catch him. What was she doing that made him react so erratically? He wanted to know so he followed his senses. He knew he couldn't stop and there was no off-setting his sister. She was a wonderful tracker and she could always find him with ease. She was gaining on him though and he kept going, waiting to see if the sense would stop. (I know his power now! He connects with people and senses their emotions from long distances! Kinda like Jasper but he can't control them and he has to decide on it)

Beatriz stepped onto the front porch and marched to the end of the driveway. Rosita flung open the door. "Where are you going?" she called out, her voice shrill and high pitched. Beatriz didn't respond. She looked up and down the street. No cars buzzed by. It was quiet. That's right. For everyone else, it was just a normal, lazy Monday afternoon. For her...it was her unraveling.
"Don't leave me!" Rosita called out. Beatriz placed a hand over her heart. It was pounding. Stress. That's what it was. Hopefully nothing serious. She didn't want to have a panic attack or something noticeable. She didn't need any of the other families on the block to worry about her. The Hernandezes could take care of themselves.
Beatriz hustled across the street and into the woods.

He kept running and didn't see his sister blindside him just as they reached Bea's street. She pinned him to the ground and it sounded like thunder. She knew it would be loud but she didn't really care. That was better than her seeing him. "Honestly Caspian, you need to calm down! Your freaking the poor girl out. If somethings going on then let her deal with it! You've scared her enough!!" He let her hold him there and thought about it for a whole minute, which was long for him. "I...I..." he stammered. She had knocked him so hard he couldn't feel her anymore. What happened? What COULD have happened?

Rosita heard a pounding and turned her head. She couldn't see anything. Hmm. That was strange. She stepped off the front porch and looked up and down the street. Two people were wrestling on the ground. Slowly, slowly, Rosita tiptoed backward and back inside.

The woods rustled around Beatriz, but she didn't care. She folded her arms tightly around her cold body and took in a deep breath. "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," she lied to herself. "I'm fine. Everything is...fine. We'll figure something out, right?"
She patted her pocket. Her cell phone wasn't there. Maybe she left it in the closet, back inside her bedroom. Beatriz shrugged. It was just a walk in the woods. What was the worst that could happen?

Caspian hadn't paid the person any attention, but heard them. He lowly whispered, "She's talking to herself. Shhh" He listened to her voice, heartbeat and footsteps. "We need to move" he whispered in a tone she wouldn't be able to hear

Beatriz walked deeper into the woods, oblivious to the fact that it steadily grew darker and she continued. Had she noticed, she might have realized just how strange it was. It wasn't night, yet the air around her had a dark tinge to it. It was getting harder to see. Just how long had she been walking?
She stopped and turned. Her hands traveled up and down her arms, trying in vain to warm herself. It was virtually impossible. Still, she continued. The motion had become a comfort in itself. It made Beatriz feel better, to have her hands preoccupied. It left no room in her mind to dwell on the fact that she was horribly, terribly lost.

They had hidden in the tallest of trees where they would be hidden by branches. He watched her be cold and wished he could get her warm

Rosita frowned in the doorway. She had watched two people hurry down the street, at an impossibly fast pace, then enter the woods after Beatriz. Rosita slipped on her coat. She had already tried calling Beatriz cell phone. She would simply have to go out there now and tell her sister what was going on. Then, they'd come back home and call Tía Marta to help them.

Caspian felt something that made him shiver involentarily. Then he smelled them. A snarl almost ripped from his throat out loud. There were 2 other vampires stalking Beatriz as she walked deeper and deeper Ito these woods. "Anna. We need to..." he started to growl lowly. "I know, I know. She doesn't just smell good to you ya know! It's not as bad but everyone else here can smell her too. Now be quiet" she said.

Rosita stepped into the woods. "Bea!" she called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Bea, where are you?" she screamed, pausing only slightly. She heard a long howl rip through the air and shivered. This was so stupid. In a few minutes, Beatriz would probably emerge from the woods and laugh off the whole thing.
"Why did you look for me?" she'd chuckle. "I only used the woods as a detour to get to Starbucks. Did you seriously wander around in there for hours? You're such a riot."
Rosita glanced back at her house. The lights shown through the two windows on the top floor, making it look like a person with their mouth wide open, ready to swallow her up. She began to tremble. She didn't want to be alone anymore. What if Beatriz never came back? She'd be all by herself. She didn't want that. She didn't want anyone else to leave her.
She took a deep, long breath and stared at the trees that loomed over her head. Then, Rosy bravely stepped forward...and into the woods.

Anna gave him the signal and they quickly, too quick for human eyes, and quietly, too soft for human ears, ran to where the other approaching vampires were. They then smelled another person, a girl and Caspian internally groaned. This was going to take some convincing. But they could just stick to the plan and tell them what they have always told passing vampires.

Beatriz plopped down in front of a tree, sighing. She was exasperated. She didn't know where she was. She was lost. Bea tried to pick out some landmarks, but it was too dark. Everything looked the same. She wrapped her arms around her legs. What was she supposed to do about this? No, about everything. Her life was just a complete mess. Beatriz pressed her fingers to her eyes and tried not to cry.
A twig cracked. She froze. What was that?
That's when it hit her: she was in the woods. She was completely vulnerable. If Caspian decided he wanted to come in here and kill her...she was a sitting duck. There was nothing she would be able to do. She hadn't even been able to do anything the first time. She was useless.

Caspian met up with the other vampires first. They were a couple, descussing their dinner plans. They had smelled Beatriz and were wondering who should take her down and where to put her body. This angered Caspain beyond belief and so Anna stepped in. She politely introduced them and told them that this was their territory. That they maintained a permanent residence in the area. The couple understood and felt guilty for almost taking down one of their friends (that's what Caspian had grudgingly reffered as Beatriz to. He wanted her to be much more, but he realized that couldn't happen soon enough.
After they headed the other way, Caspian felt more at ease.

Fear Chapter Two

Beatriz flopped down on the sofa, exhausted. She didn't want to go into her room. It felt...tainted, now. She would just wait until Rosita got home.

He waited until she fell asleep and then put her back in the closet and put everything back to the way it was, not a hair out of place (literally). He moved her last though so he could savor holding her when she wasn't protesting. She was so peaceful and beautiful. He put her in the position she was in before she came out and saw him. Then he left. He went home to take a shower. Anna kept him there where he told her what happened. His emotions went on the roller coaster, but this time only a ghost of the tremendous, rather addicting feeling before.
"She has permanently altered you. You'll never be the same" she said shaking her head.

"Hey! I'm home!" someone shouted. Beatriz drowsily opened her eyes. It was dark. She couldn't see anything. Where in the world was she?
Beatriz flailed around until she finally slammed against the closet door, pushing it open. She collapsed on the carpet, horror filling her. She was back in the closet! She had been back in the closet! How had that happened? It didn't make sense! She remembered seeing Caspian there, after her father left...Dad!
She dashed out of the room and raced down the steps, whizzing straight past Rosita who called out, "Where's the fire?" Beatriz nearly tripped once but righted herself. She skidded down the hallway, then flung open the garage door. Her father's car...it was gone.
Beatriz stumbled past her frightened sister, staggering to her father's room. His clothes, his suitcase, everything...it was gone. She flipped open her phone, then checked her dialed calls. Tía Marta was among them. Though Caspian had put her back where she was, he hadn't been able to erase what had happened. He had only made things worse.
Bea collapsed on the sofa, sobbing into her hand. He had been back. Caspian had gone through her house, touched her...that sent shivers through her body. She was so afraid. After all she had done! She had locked the windows and doors. Still, he had come back! He had come back!
Nowhere, absolutely nowhere, was safe.
And that's what scared her.

Anna sat him down and called Carlisle. He said he was dealing with something rather similar. His first changling, Edward (the one Anna thought was quite dashing), had apparently fallen for a human girl. She quickly explained how messed up the girl was and Carlisle didn't know what to do either. He also had to go because he said she had just come in. She thanked him and sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do. She probably thinks your crazy. What if she finds out? Goodness now she'll be afraid of me! And I actually LIKED her!" she said, but stopped in mid-rant. That wouldn't help.

"Bea?" Rosita whispered, tapping her sister. Beatriz didn't move. She was leaning against the arm of the couch, staring with dead eyes at nothing. She didn't respond when Rosy touched her. She knew her older sister was alive because she was shivering slightly, and her eyes were filling up with tears. Other than that, she could have been a statue.
Rosita had a lot of questions. Where was her father? Why was Bea so upset? had something happened? What should they do now? Why did everyone leave them? Still, she asked none of these. That wouldn't help. She just headed straight into the kitchen.
She remembered that, whenever she wasn't feeling well, her mom would make her some hot chocolate. Her mom would stuff it with loads of marshmallows and cinnamon. Then, her mom would come back into Rosy's room and curl up beside her on the bed. "Won't you get sick, Mama?" Rosy would ask. "Nope," Mama would reply. "We've got our hot chocolate here! Don't you know, hot chocolate is really a secret way to keep people from getting sick and cure colds. But the government doesn't want us to know that," she'd whispered conspiratorily. Rosy would laugh. Mama always thought the government was out to get them.
When Rosita had finished making the hot chocolate, she took two mugs of it out into the living room. She set one on the table before Beatriz, then sat down beside her. She sipped her hot chocolate carefully. After a few minutes, Beatriz stretched out a weak hand for the mug. It was hard for her to talk through her tears. "Gracias," she finally whispered.
"De nada," Rosita shrugged. They sat there for a while, sipping.

"I'm so sorry Anna, I really am. But I can't...stay away. Not for too long anyhow. I at least want to know what I did to her" he pleaded with her.

She sighed. "Look, I'll go listen in for about 2 minutes, maybe look inside, and see if she's alright. Sound ok?"

He bear hugged her. "Thanks Anna! I will be more careful...if I can. Or...I'll have to find a way to leave" he said gravely.

"Oh don't be stupid. We'll figure out something" she said. Then when he released her she said, "Now stay right here!" then lithely jumped out the nearest window and ran to Beatriz's house to sit on her roof and listen.

When Beatriz was done, she didn't talk to Rosita. She set her mug down on the table and hugged her knees close to herself. She just didn't have the words for how she felt. She wasn't sure if there were any. Rosita simply waited patiently, pulling at her frayed jeans.
"Dad's gone," Beatriz finally said. "For good. I think."

Anna heard this and sighed. She not only wanted to go and comfort her, but she wanted to go find her father again. But she knew this time she couldn't. Beatriz would begin to search for answers then and they'd have to leave. And Caspian would be really upset. It was a good thing he sucked at tracking or else her dad would have gotten it. She decided to stay for as long as she could.

Rosita sipped at her hot chocolate. It was cold, now. Still, she liked the feeling of the mug inside of her hands. She didn't want to set it down. And she feared that if she didn't hold anything, she would fall apart.
Beatriz closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. She desperately wanted to check, see if any doors were open or windows unlocked. Still, she knew that she couldn't. If she started checking, she would simply never stop.
Surprisingly, the fact that her had abandoned his two oldest children didn't bother her. No, that was inaccurate. Beatriz just wasn't...shocked. She had expected it to happen eventually. Everyone left them, after a while. She didn't know why, but that's how it was. No, what bothered her was the fact that Caspian had gotten back in her house. She was still shaken by that. To know that he had touched her while she was unaware made her skin crawl. She shivered just thinking about it.
The two sisters sat side by side, thinking separate thoughts. Beatriz tried not to think and Rosita tried to think ahead.
Finally, Rosita voiced the thought that scared both girls the most. "What now?" she asked.

Anna listened to the silence and was about to head home and try to figure out their best move when she heard Beatriz's sister say, "What now?". She had to know what she was going to say in response.

"We don't do anything," Beatriz shrugged, standing up. She walked to the door with limp legs that dragged along the floor. "What can we do?"

She sat on the roof and frowned to herself. She would have to leave soon.

When Beatriz made it upstairs, she ducked into her mother's room and closed the door.
After her mom left, her dad switched bedrooms. There was no discussing it. He never said anything. It was just something Rosita and Beatriz knew had happened.
Her mother's room looked exactly the same as it did the night before she left. The bed was unmade, the red bedspread tossed about the bed. There was a piece of stationery on the nightstand. Her closet was open, all the clothes gone. Her shoes had vanished. The lampshade was tilted. The room was filled with a soft, orange light. The carpet was a lush red. The room smelled like cinnamon.
Why had she left?

Anna assumed she went into her room and so she beaded home to her brother and told him what happened in a vague manner.

Beatriz sat down on her bed and brought the bedspread to her nose. Even her blanket smelled like cinnamon. The tears sprang in Beatriz's eyes again, and she cried. Why did this always happen to her? Why? What was so awful about her that everyone close disappeared? Was she that bad? Did she suck the life out of those around her? What had she done? What was wrong with her?

The Confession Chapter One

"I'm sorry this is creeping you out. I don't mean to. And...I just feel so protective of you. I can't explain it" he said slowly. His head was actually spinning, he was overwhelmed with all the feelings he had for her. That was sincerely hard for him since he had so much more space in his vampire mind then his human one had. But he was feeling an intense feeling that made him want to go over to her and hold her to him tightly. That must be the feeling of "love" his sister was always telling him that boys felt for her. She had yet to feel such a thing, but she never had described it as such an...astounding feeling. The passion that he had seen people driven to do things that were considered insane, but were for the good, that was the kind of passion he had for her. Looking at her made his eyes soften and he had to get a grip on himself to pay attention to watch her. It took 30 seconds, long enough for him, but he got a hold on reality with a lingering buzz still in place. He looked for her reaction. He had never stopped monitoring and controlling his emotions that would show on his face and in his eyes. What had she seen?

Beatriz pressed her hands to her ears. "Get out," she whispered, her voice filled with fear. "GET OUT!" she screamed, throwing a pair of shoes at him. Her hands were shaking. She brought them to her face. She had seen the expressions as they ran over his face. She had seen things like love, hopefulness, a pleading...Beatriz couldn't bear to see that. She knew what he didn't. Bea wasn't capable of love. She didn't know how to trust people with her emotions, her heart. She didn't know how to talk to people. She couldn't do anything with those emotions. She didn't know how to handle them.
So Beatriz simply pushed Caspian away.

He easily, without thinking, used his hands to flick the shoes away softly. They thudded quiet hard against the opposite wall. "Please Beatriz, just...I...I don't know! I need to figure this out!" he pleaded with her, his whole being wanting to be near her and get on his hands and knees.

"Get the heck out of my house," Beatriz whispered, her head in her hands. She didn't want to collapse anymore. She didn't want to be that old Beatriz, the one who needed to tap doorways three times before she entered them, who had to wash her hands exactly four times before leaving the bathroom, and had to step into her room three times before going to sleep. She didn't have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder anymore. She wasn't messed up. She was a normal, average teenage girl. She obeyed her parents and went to school. Beatriz did not have strange boys in her room or freak out. She refused to become the old her again.

He couldn't turn back. Not now. "I can't. Not until I know...I want...have...need to be with you" he said, feeling like he's malfunctioning. He used all his might to stay in that spot because he wanted to hold her.

"Go away," Beatriz said weakly. She wasn't sure if she could take any more of this. It was just...too much.

"No" he said quietly, walking way too fast towards her. He swept her up in his arms, the riskiest thing he could have ever done but his human emotions overpowered his common sense. "Please let me..."

Beatriz pounded on his chest with her fists. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Her throat was clamming up. It felt like it was on fire. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. The emotions...they were just too much for her. She couldn't deal with them! They were the reason she was such a good student. You didn't need emotions to do math. These emotions of hers...they were why she was a good writer. By writing stories that screamed out her deepest desires, she never had to deal with them. Beatriz had become the Beatriz she was today by constantly suppressing her emotions. If she gave into them, like after her mom left...she didn't know what would happen. Would the world end? Would she perish forever?
Or would something good happen?

He looked at her, his face automatically drawn to hers. Her throat was closing a little he could hear but it wasn't dangerous. Besides, Carlisle had taught him CPR and all that jazz. But he couldn't think of that then. Her smell was so intoxicating he felt like he was on drugs or something. Like her scent was so delectable smelling that it should be a crime. He saw her hitting him but couldn't really feel it that much. He was going to tell her to somehow stop doingthis to him when he opened his mouth. His throat was not only on fire but he wanted her to be closer and let his nose skim her neck as he took in a large whiff of her.

Beatriz tried to wriggle out of his iron grip. It was impossible. He wouldn't let go. She couldn't take it anymore! She pounded against him, but he still refused to move. She yelled out in frustration.
Then a thought came to her: how would this look to people? She knew exactly how it would look. Bea couldn't help but laugh. Then, her laughing funny, and she laughed some more. Finally, her laughing began to sound like hysterics and she started to sob. "Let me go!" she cried hoarsely.

When he heard her ask to let her go became back to reality because before, he was in his own little world, just high as a bird. He knew he was pushing both of their lucks but he could handle it surprisingly. He gently set her on the bed. "I'm so sorry...I don't know what came over me" he apologized, backing up slowly, even for a human pace. He forgot the number one thing abot love his sister had told him: the person you love comes first, not the other way around. He
might as well have just killed her then because he had made her cry, he could see that now. That's not what he wanted AT ALL.

Beatriz sat on her bed, her head cradled in her arms. "Get out of my house," she whispered, half of her words drowned out by her sobs. "Just get out of here!" Her hands tightly clutched the bedspread. This time, if Caspian wouldn't leave, she'd call the police. They'd know what to do.

He jumped out the window but had to stay. His eyes felt dry. It was like the time where he thought his sister had died. He realized that it was what it was like to cry in that body. He stayed because after she fell asleep he would have to...oh he knew now. Put her back in the closet and put everything back where it was. Then she'd think it was all a horrible dream.

Beatriz sat, slumped on the bed, until she was certain he was gone. Then, she stumbled out of her room. She shut all of the windows and locked every door. She checked every tiny crack and crevice to make sure even someone like Caspian would have no way to get in. Beatriz's hand shook as she did this. She angrily swiped away tears. She couldn't believe that had happened. She had hated that feeling of helplessness-being unable to stop Caspian from holding her, no matter how many times she pounded on him repeatedly. He could have done anything.
But he hadn't.
Why?
She shook this thought away as she staggered out of Rosita's room. She glanced at the clock. It was three o'clock. Rosita would be coming home soon. Beatriz would have to pull herself together somehow. Yes, she would. After all, their father had just left. Rosy didn't need to deal with this.

He sat there and listened to her shut all the windows and door, locking them. He'd cleaned her chimney the other day (creeper) and he could get in that way. He would wait patiently and try to get a hold of himself