EXTINCTION

The waitress returned. She'd heard Bella's last statement as she'd dithered on the other side of the partition, wondering what more she could offer me. I wanted to roll my eyes at some of the offerings she'd had in mind.

"How are we doing?" she asked me.
"We're ready for the check, thank you," I told her, my eyes on Bella.

The waitress's breathing spiked and she was momentarily - to use Bella's phrasing - dazzled by my voice.
In a sudden moment of perception, hearing the way my voice sounded in the inconsequential human's head, I realized why I seem to be attracting so much admiration tonight - unmarred by the usual fear.

It was because of Bella. Trying so hard to be safe for her, to be less frightening, to be human, I truly had lost my edge. The other humans saw only beauty now, with my innate horror so carefully under control.

I looked up at the waitress, waiting for her to recover herself. It was sort of humorous, now that I understood the reason.

"Sure," she shuttered. "Here you go."

She handed me the folder with the bill, thinking of the card she'd slid in behind the receipt. A card with her name and telephone number on it.

Yes, it was rather funny.

I had money ready again. I gave the folder back at once, so she wouldn't waste anytime waiting for a call that would never come.

"No change," I told her, hoping the size of the tip would assuage her disappointment.

- Midnight Sun (partial draft), Ch. 8, pg. 192-193 by Stephenie Meyer (2008) -

Current song : Love Hurts by Incubus