Author's note: In this chapter I tell Felix about my backstory and my foster parents. I just made them bad people for the fun of the book and I hope that no one is offended by my foster parents and the way they talk to me. I just want to show that they are horrible people and mean. The language they use to describe me is called ableist language. Refer to chapter 17-18 for more information about ableism.
Preparing for the possibility of a deadly outburst from Felix, I wheeled cautiously over to him and River. You can imagine my surprise when Felix descended to the grass and wrapped his strong arms around River's furry body.
"I am so happy to see you, River!" was written all over his handsome face as he gazed lovingly into her eyes.
His behaviour was totally unexpected to me. I was expecting Felix to lunge at River in the typical newborn fashion. Instead, I witnessed a tender moment between River and Felix.
I turned to face Carlisle and spoke with confusion. "I thought that newborn vampires were not able to control themselves...How can this situation be happening?"
"I have only read about this phenomenon, but I have never seen it portrayed before, especially on this ardent of a level,"Carlisle said authoritatively.
When the love between a human and an animal is very strong, this love can transcend the newborn madness. Obviously, Felix and River have a special bond."
''Vampire and dog reunited again," I thought fondly.
I turned back to the newborn and dog seated on the grass and felt tears spring to my eyes at their closeness and the obvious feelings of happiness that the gestures contained.
Felix suddenly wrote on his notebook and spun it in my direction. "I think I could live like this, as long as River is here and you promise to look at me with love in your eyes like that forever. " Felix supplied.
" That's so sweet of you Felix. On another note, I have brought you some Sangue to try," I said, handing him a metal bottle filled with red liquid. "It will hopefully help with your thirst"...
Later that night, we sat back on my bed. The good news about us both being vampires now was that we didn't need to sleep. We could talk and talk and talk.
Tell me about your past, Felix wrote.
I took a deep breath and then began.
"This is a long story but it started when my parents perished in a house fire when I was ten years old. I became an orphan then and was sent to live with foster parents very far away from here. Their names are Deidre and Harry and they decided that I was expendable the minute I alighted on their doorstep. The minute Social Services had closed the door, Deidre took about, attempting to unstrap me from my wheelchair and pick me up. I accepted the reassurance, of course, because I was distraught. I never knew then that she was the most despicable artifice-teller I would be destined to meet and that many embarrassments would follow. Hoping for some comfort from my foster father, Harry, I wriggled with difficulty out of Deidre's embrace and made my way over to his sitting form. Finally I sat in front of him, praying that he would love me. With eyes made sleepy with beer, Harry focused his bloodshot eyes on me and motioned for me to come closer to him. I did so, expecting a hug, but he went on to say the words that have stuck with me all these years.
"You are the most useless girl I have met and you are going to be a disgrace to this family. Go back to your foster mother. If your disability costs me any time or money you will be gone from this house." He would roar these words every time I banged my wheelchair into something or took too long to process something. I would run back to Deidre and she would say
"Come, my dear Ella, you are just a bit freaky to us. I'm sure we'll get used to your habits soon enough". She would condescendingly rebuke me all the time from then on and I got used to their aversion to me."
I looked up at Felix and noticed he was listening intently. I continued hopefully,
"It has all stopped since she came to collect me and my vampire family drove her off," I said to Felix, who was as still as a statue beside me. I could see the hurt in his eyes on my behalf.
I put a gentle hand on his arm to reassure him.
"It's okay, Felix, I am safe with the Cullens," I said with a small smile. "Deidre and Harry won't touch me now because they are very far away. It's not like they could hurt me now, anyway," I reflected wryly.
Surprisingly, Felix gestured to his strong body and fiery-red eyes and snorted out a mirth-filled laugh. He handed me his notebook. "They can't hurt me either!" Felix had written. He could barely contain his amusement.
With one look at his mischievous red irises, I too dissolved into never-ending giggles. I reflected on this unusual moment we were having. I doubt many couples would be having a laugh about both being vampires!
"I have never shared a moment with someone like that before because I never felt happy enough to," I whispered truthfully.
"Didn't we just have your first true little bout of hilarity, then?" Felix wrote.
"I guess we did," I uttered breathlessly. Then Felix smiled at me and picked up his cup of Sangue. I did the same. I didn't need Felix to write anything down to know he was toasting me.
"To us," I proclaimed regally, as if we were dining royals. "To many more bizarre fits of laughter in the future!"
Felix again handed me his notebook. "My girl, my beautiful, sassy Ella." And then we both sported identical smiles, which were positively bursting at the seams.
Suddenly the bedroom door crashed open, and in sashayed Alice, wearing a pantsuit in brilliant yellow.
A pair of dangerous looking pointy-heeled gladiator heels in the same hue completed the look.
"I hope I'm not interrupting any dual reveries here but we have an emergency!"
"We do?" I asked with concern.
Yes we do!" said Alice with slight frustration. "The prom is tonight and we need to get you and Felix dressed immediately..."
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