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Normality	By : AlphaOmegaPsi Category: Twilight Series > AU/AR > Slash Views: 2984 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

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AN: Chapter 2! This has to be some sort of record; I never update this quickly. I really like the idea of this story, though, so I think I'll definitely be continuing.

Thank you to Raisden_Captivity, who reviewed the first chapter! Barlie's name is a combination of Billy and Charlie, thank you for noticing. I hope this speedy update makes you happy.

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Mom didn’t talk to me much the next day. Dad was already gone by the time I woke up, but I doubt he would have said much either. It was always like this for a while after I had an episode. It was the elephant in the room; they tried to acknowledge it and ignore it at the same time.

Lizzie wasn’t awake yet, but I knew she would stop and see me later. She always wandered up to the bookstore where I worked around lunchtime, and we usually went to get something to eat together.

Mom offered to make me breakfast, but I couldn’t take the tension anymore and skipped out. It wasn’t like I would die after not eating for one day; what was the harm?

Then I remembered I hadn’t eaten dinner the night before, and my stomach growled mournfully at me. Oh, well. It was too late to back out now. I could make it until lunch if I just didn’t think about it.

“Good morning, Mr. Yorkie,” I said to my boss as I entered the bookstore. He smiled.

“Barlie. You’re two minutes late.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, trying my best to look contrite. “Would you believe me if I said I had to fight a group of aliens on my way over here? They were tougher than I thought.”

“I might, if you brought me a head as proof,” Mr. Yorkie teased.

“I disintegrated them all!” I groaned. “I wanted to make sure they didn’t regenerate or switch bodies. I was only thinking of the planet, Mr. Yorkie, honest!”

“No proof, no excuse,” he said playfully. “Your punishment is to reshelve all the books left out on the tables.”

“Yes, sir,” I sighed, chuckling as I walked away. Mr. Yorkie and I were both Sci-Fi fans, and banter like that wasn’t uncommon between us. He was a pretty cool guy, and I was grateful for him hiring me even knowing about my condition. I probably had my mom to thank for that; she and Mr. Yorkie had been friends in high school. Besides, what was there to make me angry in a bookstore? More often than not, I was in the back checking inventory or restocking. I rarely ever interacted with customers, so the chance of them setting me off was slim. Besides, books always seemed to calm me down. I felt like I could escape into them and free myself from the realities of my life. Everything was okay in books, and even if I got angry while reading it was a normal kind of anger. I never had a fit over something that happened in a book. This was the safest place for me, and it definitely helped pay for some of the things I destroyed. Like my bed.

I grimaced as I realized I would have to sleep on the couch until I could afford a new mattress. Our couch was lumpy and uncomfortable. I’d be waking up with a crick in my neck for weeks.

As I grabbed one book after another, adding them to the steadily growing pile in my arms, I wondered why Mr. Yorkie didn’t make Laura do this. She worked the night shift most of the time, and was usually the one the close up. But she never cleaned up the tables; that job was always left for me. Either she was the favorite, or Mr. Yorkie just liked torturing me.

It never ceased to amaze me just how many books people left lying around. Like they just pulled a book off the shelf, looked inside and found out it had words, then tossed it on a table and went about their merry business. Okay, not everyone was like that, but it seemed like more and more people came in here misunderstanding that a bookstore would carry book. We had more people asking about CDs or movies than actual books. Another good reason I didn’t interact with customers: I would probably murder them.

To someone like me, it was baffling to hear someone complain about how they hate books, or get bored with something that wasn’t exactly what they wanted. To me, most books were adventures. It didn’t matter what the plot was; I would find out eventually. If I only wanted one type of plot, how could I find something I really enjoyed? It made no sense.

I wanted to get all the books in one go, but I realized that I wasn’t even a third of the way done when my hands were full. At this rate, it would take me all morning to get them back in their rightful place. And there would be more customers coming in soon that would leave even more books around. This was such a never-ending job.

By the time lunch rolled around, I had managed to replace most of them on the shelves. However, I was right about customers taking other books out. There were already new ones that hadn’t been there before, and other customers sitting around reading. I only had an hour for lunch, so I let them be; I could always get them when I came back, but I was starting to feel faint from hunger and Lizzie was probably waiting for me.

She was waiting, but I was surprised to find she was talking to someone. Well, not surprised; Lizzie was pretty social, so it wasn’t exactly shocking to find her talking. But something about them just seemed off.

They were sitting at a table together, Lizzie on one side and a strange boy on the other. They were chatting like old friends, but I was fairly certain Lizzie didn’t know the guy. I knew most of her friends, and he didn’t look familiar at all. He was pale, with a pointed nose and short, dark blond hair. Something about him seemed weird, but I couldn’t put my finger on it…

And then it hit me. He was one of those vampires dad and the wolves were always hunting. He’d described them to me before: pale and sickly, fast as lightning…there was no other explanation. A vampire had finally come back to Forks. I had to tell dad right away, but first I had to get Lizzie away from him.

I strode up to the table as menacingly as I could. “Lizzie,” I said sharply. “What are you doing?” She looked startled at my approach.

“Oh! I was just talking to my new friend, uh…”

“Ethan,” the boy said hurriedly, sticking his hand out for me to shake. He looked me up and down once, quickly, before glancing away. Probably trying to size me up before I noticed. Too bad I did notice. With triumph, I realized he was afraid of me. A few awkward seconds passed before he finally lowered his hand.

“Let’s go,” I said to my sister, trying to keep the menacing tone in my voice. Lizzie looked scared and nodded. She probably thought I was on the verge of an episode, but she had no way of knowing just how in-control of myself I was. Whatever it took to get her away, though; if I could just get her home, dad would make sure this vampire was eradicated for good.

“Uh…goodbye, Ethan,” she said, waving to the stunned-looking boy as we exited the book shop. We didn’t talk as we made our way home. She didn’t comment on the fact that we didn’t stop anywhere for lunch. Either she had just realized the gravity of the situation, or she was still worried I was going to go berserk. Fine either way. At least she was safe.

“Dad?” I called out when we entered the house. “Dad, are you here?” Unfortunately, the house was completely empty. Even mom was gone. Dad was probably out with the wolf pack. That was horribly inconvenient; how could they protect us against vampires if the minute one showed up they were nowhere to be found?

“Why are you looking for dad?” Lizzie asked warily. I sighed. Surely, she had to have noticed.

“There’s a bloodsucker on the loose,” I explained. “I need to tell him right away. We should go to Emily’s.” My sister’s brown eyes widened.

“A…vampire?” she said hesitantly. “Where did you see it? How did you keep it from noticing you?”

“Come on, Lizzie! I know you’re not stupid!” I grasped her shoulders and shook her once. “That boy you were talking to was a vampire! He wanted to eat you! I can’t believe you forgot everything dad told us!” Lizzie looked stunned for a moment before her expression morphed into one of anger.

“You idiot!” she screamed, punching me in the arm. “That’s why you pulled me away? I thought you were going to freak out! I was worried about you, asshole!” She growled and wrenched herself out of my grasp. “Ethan isn’t a vampire. If you bothered to check things out thoroughly instead of jumping to insane conclusion, you would know that!”

“What are you talking about? Of course he is!” I clenched my teeth together, willing myself to calm down. How could she not have seen it? “Dad said vampires were pale and sickly-looking. That guy looked just like that.”

“Yeah, and dad also said they were cold and had red or yellow eyes,” Lizzie pointed out. “I shook his hand; it was the same temperature as mine. Maybe even a little warmer. And anyway, his eyes were green.” She crossed her arms. “If you had bothered to just check things out, we wouldn’t have had to waste lunch time.”

“But…but…” I sputtered. “He has to be. I just got this weird feeling from him, Liz…”

“He was not a vampire! Get it through your thick skull!” Lizzie sighed and checked her watch. “We still have forty-five minutes left. We could get something to eat if you’re up to it.” I wanted to continue the argument—I knew he was a bloodsucker—but I knew Lizzie wouldn’t listen so I just nodded. I was already starving, and if the wolves didn’t know already I could tell them later. Until then, I just had to make sure I kept an eye on Lizzie. That vampire had definitely set his sights on her; I couldn’t risk her being killed.

We made our way to a burger shop five minutes away, and settled down to eat. Lizzie was chattering about something, but I found it difficult to listen. I tried to look like I was paying attention while secretly checking to see if that vampire had followed us. I soon realized I wasn’t being too subtle when Lizzie slammed her hands on the table, startling me.

“I knew you weren’t listening!” she said triumphantly. “You’re so obvious, Barlie.”

“I’m sorry,” I said with little conviction. “I’m just feeling a little antsy right now. I feel like we were followed.”

“You feel like that because you’re paranoid,” Lizzie said, rolling her eyes. “I’m telling you: Ethan is not a vampire and he is not hunting either of us.”

“He must have used some kind of trick,” I said thoughtfully. “Dad said some vampires had special powers; maybe this one has the power to appear human. It could be possible, Lizzie.”

“Oh, for the love of…now you’re just making excuses.”

“I’m trying to cover all bases!” I insisted. “Look, no matter what you say, I know this guy is a vamp. I sensed it the moment I saw him.”

“Oh, right, because you have that ability.” Lizzie hurriedly ate the rest of her burger and fries. “I cannot talk to you when you’re like this. I’m going to the mall. Have fun with the rest of work.”

“No, wait!” I grabbed her arm as she tried to leave. “Just come to work with me. Please. I’ll feel much more at ease if I can check to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m not going to do that,” she said, yanking her arm away from me. “There is no vampire. I’ll be fine, just like I am every day. You’re being ridiculous.” It was no good. She was going to leave. I knew it wasn’t right, but I knew there was no other option. If lying had worked before, it could work again.

I caught up with her at the door and leaned in close so I could lower my voice.

“This whole thing has me a little agitated,” I said. “I’m a little scared that I’m going to freak out, Liz. Please, come to work with me. You’re the only person who can even hope to control me when I’m like that.” Lizzie heaved a huge sigh and I knew I had her.

“Fine,” she said. “But I’m only doing it because I would hate myself if I didn’t and something did happen.”

“Thank you.” The truth was, I wasn’t feeling agitated at all. Rather, I was feeling triumphant. I already knew the vampire was afraid of me, which meant that as long as Lizzie was around me she was safe. I felt a little bad about lying to her again, but she wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t. She would be mad, but at least this way she wouldn’t be dead.

Unfortunately, fate wasn’t favoring me today. When we arrived back at the bookstore, the vampire was still there. He was browsing, but it was obvious it was him. I still got the same weird vibe looking at him. Lizzie was thrilled he was still there, and soon the two found a table to talk at. I was a little pissed, but I figured this still solved my problem. Lizzie wouldn’t leave as long as she thought there was a problem with me, and at least here I could keep an eye on her. The bloodsucker probably wouldn’t make a move in front of so many people. So as long as they decided to stick around, Lizzie was safe.

It was surprisingly distracting, having your little sister chatting with a bloodthirsty monster mere feet away. I started putting away books in the wrong place, and got a serious talk from Mr. Yorkie about responsibility. I knew he wouldn’t fire me as long as my mom asked him to keep me, but I still felt a little guilty for shirking my work. I collected all the misfiled books and replaced them in their correct spot, careful to check the book thoroughly this time. By the time I was done, however, there were fresh piles of books sitting out on tables. Sighing, I went about my task again, cursing my sister and her new vamp friend.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted, but glad to see that Lizzie had stuck around like she said she would. Unfortunately, so had her new friend. Either the guy had nothing better to do, or he really wanted to suck her blood. I wouldn’t be letting the latter happen anytime soon.

“My shift is over,” I said, approaching my sister. I carefully ignored the other boy.

“Great. I thought it would never end.” She grinned. “I want to go look for a book. Why don’t you sit down and make nice?” I wanted to protest, but she was gone before I had the chance.

It was awkward, being alone with the person I had sworn a personal vendetta against. I couldn’t see any way out of it, though, so I sat down across from him in Lizzie’s old seat. He stared down at his lap, noticeably nervous in my presence.

“I know what you are,” I said, deciding to break the silence. “I know what you’re trying to do, too. And you can forget it. I’m not letting you have my sister.” The boy looked confused.

“What?” He frowned. “I don’t want her. Not that she’s not nice, I mean, she’s great, but I don’t really like her that way.”

“That’s not what I mean,” I said, leaning forward menacingly. “You can play dumb all you want, but I know. And I swear, if you mess with my family, I will make you pay. I know people who can rip you apart in a second.” The boy’s eyes widened.

“Did I...do something to you?” he asked hesitantly. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m sure you don’t.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Let’s just make sure nobody turns up dead. Keep yourself under control, and maybe you won’t have a whole pack of your worst nightmare chewing your ass into oblivion.”

Ethan was stunned into silence, which was just as well because Lizzie soon joined us with a new book in her hands.

“Let’s go home, Barlie,” Lizzie said. “Mom should be making dinner right now.”

“Yeah. That sounds good.” I shot the bloodsucker a menacing glare and stood.

“See you tomorrow, Ethan.” Lizzie smiled at the blond boy, and then, blissfully, we left. It wasn’t until we were halfway home that it hit me what she’d said.

“What do you mean, you’ll see him tomorrow?” I asked. “You’re not going out with him, are you?”

“Like it’s any of your business!” she snapped. “I don’t want to hear anything from you with the way you’ve been acting today. You have no idea how mad I am.”

“Hey, it got him off your back.” I shrugged. “Even if he isn’t a vampire, which I know he is, at least you’ll be safe. You don’t know anything about the guy; he could still hurt you.”

“You are taking protectiveness to a whole new level!” she said, turning around the fix me with a glare. “If I can take on you with no problem, why do you suddenly think I’m going to be helpless against someone as small and skinny as Ethan? You’re insane!”

“He might drug you,” I pointed out. “Anyone would be helpless against that.”

“Well, excuse me if I like to know someone at least a day before I decide if they’re going to rape me or not!” Lizzie threw her hands up and stalked away. “You’re impossible, you know that? Just because you have no friends doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be miserable.”

“Gee. Thanks,” I said wryly. “Nothing like a supportive sibling. You certainly haven’t been that once today.”

“Only because you’re being a baby,” she groaned. We approached the house and Lizzie leapt onto the porch in two bounds. She turned and blocked the door right before I could open it.

“Will you move?” I sighed, rubbing my eyes. Already I was wiped out, and this wasn’t helping. Lizzie poked me in the chest with a bony finger.

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, dumbass,” she said. “Get that through your thick skull and maybe you won’t be such a lonely shut-in.” She turned to open the screen door, then paused. “Oh, and by the way: the reason I’m seeing Ethan tomorrow is because mom invited him and his family over for dinner. So suck on that.” She soon disappeared into the relative safety of the house. I stood on the porch for a few seconds, stunned, before following her inside.

Tomorrow was going to suck.
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Normality