Chapter 4 – "Don't Stop Me Now"

It was a long and tedious day for Tristan. It wasn't at all what he was hoping for his day to go. But at least his peers were willing to try and make it better for him. He was often asked by others if he was alright, or if he needed help with anything. His reassurances were enough to deter them from questioning him further, which was a relief.

But when he arrived at his Advanced English class, it took all his will power to not curse and scream at the injustice of seeing yet another one of those veggie-vampires in his class.

'Either Fate is getting kicks out of seeing me suffer, or my luck has just decided to take a fucking day off!' His inner ranting was enough to distract him to take his seat in the back of the class and open his book.

He was sharing a class with Jasper Hale.

Now, while he hated the Cullen's on the principle of them just existing and would inevitably ruin his family, that didn't mean he couldn't admit that he liked The Major on some level. On physical appearances, the blonde southern gentleman was eye-candy. The thick blonde curls were something that Tristan would like to run his hands through if only to mess with the perfect comb and give him sex hair. Because really, who wouldn't want to see that? As for the emotional side of it all, well… that was something else entirely.

Tristan continued to read his English book, trying desperately to ignore the obvious sense of eyes that were on him. It was annoying, but he managed to push the feeling away like shooing away a fly. And for the rest of the class, he read through the book. He felt the constant feeling of eyes on him, so much that it was making his stomach turn.

He wanted it to just stop.

And the feeling was gone.

Blinking in surprise, he almost turned to see if the eyes were gone. But he felt relaxed and calm all of a sudden. It was unnatural for him to feel so at ease and calm, given he never let his guard down or was comfortable enough to feel such a way unless he was at home. So, he had to wonder how—

He froze.

'Son of a bitch!'

He turned his head slightly, looking to the side through his lashes and met the gold eyes of the empath that had manipulated his emotions. And to say he was enraged would be an understatement. He took back his previous judgment of the vampire. All the Cullen's could just die for all he cared.

He showed his anger on his face, glaring darkly at the vampire that dared manipulate him in any way. The vampire had the sense to look away, and never turn back. Tristan spent most of the lesson glaring at the vampire, not caring about his classmates' curious glances between him and the blonde bloodsucker.

'You so much as even think of doing something like that again, and I'll toss you into a fucking stone crusher and light the bastard on fire!' His thoughts took on a more sadistic form as he imagined all the ways to dispose of the blonde Vampire ponce.

The class was naturally curious and fascinated with the new students. Heck, the whole Cullen family has got the town of Forks in a frenzy because of them being new and so good-looking. The school was in a state of drama and excitement, something new and interesting was causing the students to nearly lose their minds. It was disturbing to Tristan and completely ridiculous. Not to mention the amount of affection and attention he was receiving from the female and some of the male population. He shuddered at the looks he kept getting, not just on his face either.

He sometimes hated his blessed good looks.

Hopefully, the admiring looks can be transferred from him to the irresistible and charming Cullen Coven.

'But knowing my luck, I'm not going to hold my fucking breath.' He internally grumbled, near pouting at the injustice of it all. He was tired of half of the students of the school coming and asking if he wanted to 'hang out' with them. Because he would never be with anyone in this lifetime, and it wasn't because of more personal reasons either. He didn't want to get attached romantically in this life.

'Fuck you Fate, or Death or whoever the fuck sent me to this shit storm of a fucked-up universe.' His inner cursing was interrupted by the familiar running of feet before he lifted his arms and waited for a moment before something collided with his back. He didn't move from the force, merely planting his feet, and looked over his shoulder to see his grinning best friend, Angela Weber.

He could still remember the first time he had met the shy, timid bespectacled girl.

He was sitting in the park, reading his favorite book, "Peter Pan". The book had fascinated him as a child when he had been Brandon, and now he had the opportunity to read it and remember it. Just the thought of being a Lost Boy or Peter Pan himself had made Tristan appreciate the time he had as a child with the choice of dreaming and having an imagination. The feeling of freedom and adventure was something Tristan always had and never wanted to fade away. And while he wished he could remain a child forever, it was the future that held his longing of being able to live his life however he wished and not dictated by adults. He would be free to make his own choices and live a life he knew his mother and Kyle would be proud of.

The weather was surprisingly sunny, with a light breeze flowing through the air. It was so rare to have a sunny day in Forks, given that the usual weather was rain, rain, and more rain. But it was a nice change, and Tristan was more than happy to take advantage of the UV rays shining down on him. Given he was naturally pale as a child, the sun would do him good and give him a slight tan, at least he was hoping for a tan. But it was most likely not going to happen.

He could hear other children playing in the playground, laughing and screaming. It always amazed him how such innocence existed in this world, given when he had been Brandon, he had no such privilege to be a child. Old-fashioned father with ideals of not having an heir that was childish and spoiled. No, he had to be a prodigy and respectful at all times.

It was those times that Tristan would never miss.

He froze for a moment when he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him. This would be the fifth time a child approached them to try and become his friend.

"Hello," A small high-pitched voice called from behind him. He turned his head and saw a small girl in a blue raincoat, denim jeans, and pink boots. Her hair was in pig-tails and she had massive glasses on her face. Overall, she was the definition of a nerd.

"Hello," he replied to be polite before turning back to read his book. It was a dismissal, but he wasn't sure if it was clear enough for the girl.

"I'm Angela Weber," she's shy when she speaks, always looking down or away and never meeting his eyes. It was annoying, but Tristan understands meeting new people is not really 'fun' for children.

"My name is Tristan Swan," he forced a smile before turning back to his book in the hopes that the girl was smart and would leave him alone.

"Don't you get lonely?"

I froze, then turned and stared hard at the girl. She seemed intimidated by my stare, which was good. However, that didn't stop the girl was standing straight and meeting my dark gaze with a defiant one of her own.

"What business is that of yours?" I retorted, a small sneer crossing my features before smoothing it over for any adults that might have been observing.

"Well, you're sitting here in the park, reading and not bothering to know anyone. You look so lonely and lost."

"So?" I snapped back, not one to be backed into a metaphoric corner by a small girl who seemed to persist in pursuing a sore subject.

"Well," she stammered out, losing some of her courage. "You just seem to just… be by yourself all the time. A little boy with no one who understands. Like you…" She trailed off when she saw the look in Tristan's eyes.

Anger.

Pain.

Loss.

Grief.

He looked so sad…

"I'm sorry. Please don't cry…" She pleaded. But Tristan didn't say anything, his eyes tearing up at the emotions that wrecked inside of him. It nearly consumed him, just like when he woke up from dreaming. Every single day, he could feel himself fall apart at the loss of—

To be reminded of his loss and pain, especially from a child of all people, was something else.

"I will help you." She proclaimed, putting her hand on the boy's shoulder and looking him in the eye. "I will help you, by being there. I want to be your friend, Tristan."

It was the start of a friendship that flowered so slowly, so gently and when finally bloomed… It was beautiful.

He had both felt so lost and relieved that day, never knowing that sitting in a park reading would earn him a friend. Tristan had taken much advantage of his new life, but this girl was someone he would be grateful for.

"How are you, Tristan?" He heard Angela ask him, grinning at him over his shoulder.

He smiled, "I'm good, how are you, Angie?" He adjusted his grip on Angela so she was more comfortable and he could walk easier.

"Great. It's school, the birds are singing, and everyone is buzzing about the new students." She laughed when she saw him rolling his eyes in response.

"Honestly," He sneered, "I don't see what all the fuss is about." His frowned startled a few passer-by students, who sent concerned looks and were muttering quietly. He waved the looks off, not worried about other's opinions about him.

"Well, they're new and completely gorgeous." She answered dreamily.

"Please, not you too," He groaned. It was obvious that he was completely done with hearing about how handsome and good looking the Cullen's were.

"Sorry," She giggled, not sorry at all. He rolled his eyes at her and continued to walk to his next class, silently praying that the world would be kind to him and let him have a Cullen-free period.

After dropping off Angela to her Math class, Tristan walked through the hallways towards the gym for Physical Education. He made it to the doors and walked through to see his classmates ready to begin. He was quick to change into his gym clothes and start. Indoor soccer was a sport he always enjoyed.

And just as he prayed and hoped, there was no Cullen's insight.

'Thank fuck!' He mentally cheered, smiling at the other boys in his class. He could hear the giggles and practically feel the side glances on his person. He spared them a glance and a charming smile to get them off his back and continued joined the other boys. The P.E teacher then began to say that they would be playing Dodgeball. The boys began cheering, while the girls groaned and moaned.

It was fun if Tristan thought about the whole time they played. It was a change from the usual running around the gym and doing basketball drills for the first few weeks. He had felt free at that moment, dodging and throwing balls with his classmates. The grin on his face stretched across his face, hurting his cheek muscles but he didn't care. He was alive and living the life that was bestowed upon him as a second chance. And although it wasn't perfect, it was enough for him to simply live and enjoy what he had.

Too bad that the Cullen's were here in his home town to eventually ruin it all.

'No… that won't happen.' It was now that Tristan thought that he would change it all. He would make sure to keep his father and home safe. Tristan would do anything to protect his home and Charlie. And to do that, he needed to find a few allies in the people who were natural enemies of the Vampire species.

The Quileute Tribe.

There was Billy Black, who would support Tristan in any way. The man had become a second father to him, and for that, Tristan was grateful. It had been hard for Billy and his children after the death of his wife, but at least Charlie and Tristan were there to pick up Billy and give him the support he needed.

And then, there was Jacob Black.

Tristan paused at the thought of his best friend.

It hadn't been easy for Tristan as a child when he first met the younger boy. All he had thought about at the time was the amount of trouble and grief the eventual shape-shifter would cause. As a result of his assumptions and quick conclusions, he didn't consider the boy's feelings. But Charlie was quick to get Tristan to lend a sympathetic shoulder to the younger boy that was mourning.

And when Tristan saw the boy sitting on the veranda, looking away into the forest with a gaze so distant… so withdrawn… He knew it was time for Jacob to come back to the world of the living and leave the dead to rest. A few words and a scolding had got Jacob to come out of wallowing and see the sun after a while.

From there, Jacob and Tristan had become the best of friends. He would visit every weekend and after school sometimes, to make sure that Jacob was doing okay, or to just hang out with his best friend. It was a friendship that Tristan didn't expect he would have, but he was pleased to share it with someone like Jacob.

"Hey Tristan," He heard his name called, looking down the corridor to see Eric waving wildly at him. Shaking his head at the actions of his friend, he moved towards the geeky boy and walked with him towards the cafeteria.

Lunchtime.

It was a general rule that Tristan liked to sit by himself on lunch break. It wasn't because he didn't want to converse with people, or was trying to seem stuck up in his ways. He just wanted to spend his lunches thinking about other things that didn't involve subjects, gossip or rumors. He got enough of those things during class, and he wasn't going to have stupid, false whispers in his ears and infecting his brain. So, he had separated from his friends with the promise of seeing them all later, he made it to a corner table next to a wide window with a good view of the forest. It was unspoken to everyone that this table was Tristan's. No one bothered to sit at this table since he had declared that he wanted to table all to himself.

And word had passed throughout the school from there.

He sat by himself at his table, content to do his own thing and relax without the worry of being bothered. Retrieving his headphones, iPod and a book from his bag, he had begun reading "Book of Lies" a few days ago, he played music to block out the noise of the cafeteria and started reading.

It was so peaceful, that he failed to notice all the noise die down at the entry of the Cullen's that came in from the door by his table. He kept on reading, listening to the soft music of "Queen".

Edward P.O.V

My family and I made our way to the only available table by the windows on the far side of the cafeteria. It was too quiet, and far too much attention on all of us, but it wasn't anything that we hadn't experienced before. We took our seats and looked in different directions, never looking at anyone else around us.

I didn't think it was possible to be so confused and frustrated as I felt right now. All morning, I have heard nothing but how good looking my family was, including myself.

It was all so repetitive.

It was so boring.

That was until…

Tristan Swan.

I can't describe just how much this one human could stand out from the crowd. He could be mistaken for one of us if it wasn't for the obvious beating of his heart. But it was more than just him being human.

I couldn't read him at all.

His mind was just silent.

There was no noise, no images or sense being portrayed in his thoughts. It was as if everything that he was non-existent.

Yet the world around Tristan was so loud and about him. The thoughts of the students around him were focused on my family, but also about Tristan. The comparison between my family and the Swan boy was skeptical.

'Wow… you'd think that the family would be related to Tristan.'

'Maybe they're related?'

'Those girls are so hot and sexy. Man, what I would give to just…'

'I hope Tristan notices the new necklace I'm wearing.'

'Those new guys are so gorgeous. I wonder if I can get one for myself.'

Just listening to so many thoughts would give even a vampire a headache.

"Edward?" Alice whispered, making me turn my head slightly to let her knew I was listening.

"Everyone's commenting about us, just the usual gossip. But quite a few of them are thinking about that Swan boy." I reported, keeping my eyes on the enigma by the window. He was listening to "Queen" while reading. Although exactly what he was reading I couldn't see from the angle I was sitting in, nor could I read his mind to find out what it was. It was frustrating to not know something.

Yet, so fascinating.

Jasper's thought caught my interest when he reviewed his time spent in Art with Tristan, and the reactions the boy displayed towards Jasper was extreme. He'd never seen a human show so much hostility towards a vampire. Usually, it was the human that feared or cautioned themselves against Vampires, even subconsciously. Yet, Tristan was the complete opposite in his sense of self-preservation and merely showed just how brave, or stupid he was.

It was different, and not in a bad way.

So, I continued to watch the mysterious and silent boy as he read. He looked peaceful and content to be doing something so ordinary. He even started humming to the music in his ears. It was quiet, the café noise being tuned out by the lyrical humming of the Swan boy.

"Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah"

It felt good.

The music flowed, entrancing me for reasons unknown.

"And floating around in ecstasy
So don't stop me now, don't stop me
'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time"

As I watched the boy, my eyes widened at the sight of the smile that started to twitch at the corner of his lips. I turned my eyes away from him to look over at the others and saw Jasper was in a state of content and happiness, grinning almost like a crazy man. And it was more enchanting when he started to sing.

"I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva
I'm gonna go, go, go
There's no stopping me"

The café had gone silent and listened as Tristan Swan sang to "Don't Stop Me Now", the girl watching in awe and the boys grinning and mimicking guitars and drums. The feelings of happiness and fun radiated everywhere, and for me, it was purely having a good time. I couldn't care less about the pun I made and just witnessed the show before me.

Alice was laughing with Emmett, swaying to the music. Rosalie was silent and simply listened, watching everyone have a good time with no expression. Jasper couldn't hold himself in and started laughing with everyone, keeping eyes on the boy that started something never seen before.

It was music.

Pure, genuine music.

"I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you"

I couldn't help it; I smiled.

And so, the music continued to play, with everyone miming to the music and laughing along with everyone.

Tristan continued to sing until the end, not noticing or maybe ignoring the commotion around him. He was simply reading and singing the song, in a world of his own making.

"Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time
I'm having a ball
Don't stop me now"

For the first day of school, it wasn't the worse.

Hopefully, this feeling of peace would last.

I could only hope that it did.

Tristan's P.O.V

Music was an escape that I treasured above most things. The tune, the beat, and harmony of such feeling; it was real.

My father, Charlie, was one such exception when it came to wanting quiet. Mainly for the excuse that Charlie was a reminder of the life I wished for desperately in his first life.

I couldn't help but wonder what my first life would have been like if I had been given the approval and love I so wanted and needed as a child when I had been Brandon Clarke.

And Kyle… I felt the pain shoot through me, aching my chest and giving it an itch that just made me want to scratch and claw at my chest.

I was blessed to be having dreams of my beloved little brother, to see and remember his face. But it was becoming more difficult as of late… to remember the child-like wonder, the grins, and laughter.

It was slowly fading away from me.

And it was slowly killing me…

If that wasn't the worst of it, then the inevitable arrival of Bella in two years would soon deter me from thinking about my former life; especially Kyle. Which, if I was being honest, scared me to no end.

But I had to stay strong, for Charlie and myself. Because I knew that if should anything happen to my life and my father because of her and the Cullen's, then I promised myself that I would make them wish they had never met me. No matter the risks or price.

Even if they had to get involved in it all.

The story that I found myself in would be altered greatly if I were to change things drastically, or at all. But at this time, with me being here, it could all change so suddenly.

However, I think I was being a little too dramatic.

Oh well… No harm in hoping for the best, I suppose.

Author Note: I have no excuse apart from that life is a bitch at times.

I know it's not much of a chapter, but I wanted to get at least one or two chapters to introduce the Cullen's and get a look into Tristan's in-depth character, at least before Bella's arrival.

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, favorites and followers.

Please review and let me know what you think.

-lostfeather1