LEGO HOUSE

four.           stupid

▬▬ WITH A SIGH, Cori sat on the ground, her back against the trunk of a tree. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, her arms wrapped around her knees. Just to her left, a buck laid lifeless, drained of blood - he was big, too. And still it wasn't enough. The bruning in her throat was still there, still reminding her that she was no longer human. She lifted her head up only to slam it back into the trunk of the tree, which shook under the impact.

"What do you want?" She muttered as the sound of crunching leaves echoed around her.

"I can't let you kill yourself." Edward told her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans as he stood over the girl and the dead deer. "Not only would my entire family hate me if I did, but I can't let Bella lose you."

"Stay the fuck out of my head." She groaned and instantly she was on her feet, her hand around his throat. "This would work so much better if I was taller." She groaned before tossing him to the side.

Were you always this violent?

"What the..." Her eyebrows pinched as she looked at him, he stood a few steps away from her but his mouth never moved. "How can-"

You can hear me.

It was more a statement than a question. "Oh, hell no." She shook her head and away went the voice she heard... in her head. Then she looked up at him once again. "Okay, Psycho, I get that you can read minds whenever you like, but that... whatever that was... can't happen again."

"I didn't do that."

"So I can - no! I don't want to read your mind." She nearly whined. "I was in there for a minute and I wanted to throw myself off a really tall building."

"I don't think we share a gift. Can you hear my thoughts now?" He asked and she looked up at him, but she heard nothing other than a few small animals running around the forest.

"No. But I could read your mind, which I don't want to do again, how?"

"I don't know." He shrugged and she huffed as she narrowed her eyes at him, this time it was more confusion than anything else. "Murder is wrong, Cori."

"Oh, shut up." She rolled her eyes before shoving him into a tree. "And tell Bella to hug our mom for me." With that she made her way back to the house.

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▬▬ "ARE WE SURE I SHOULD be out here?" Cori questioned, her crimson eyes scanning the dark forest - but she could see everything so clearly. Then she looked over at Carlisle. "I can't exactly control myself all that well."

"Hush." Travis mumbled, his golden eyes also scanning the trees. All the Cullens - with the exception of Edward - and Cori stood in the woods, the trees tall above all of them.

"Who is this chick again?" She asked, looking over at Rosalie, ignoring the boy.

"James' mate, she wants your sister dead. And we're almost certain it was her that made you wreck the Volvo - though we're not sure why."

"Good to know." Cori muttered, her hands clenched by her sides as she gritted her teeth.

"That's good, make her mad." Travis mumbled.

"Are you sure this is where you saw her?" Carlisle asked, his eyes on Alice - the vision she'd had at lunch the other day was of Victoria.

"She's almost here." She answered, but her voice sounded almost distant as they looked around the trees for any sign of anything. "On your left!" She shouted and like a light, they all took off.

Emmett was in front, with Cori not far behind. Her anger was driving her more than anything else as she weaved in and out of trees. Emmett was close, mere inches from grabbing the redhead but she simply tossed him, sending him flying into a tree - he hit with a grunt.

Cori pushed her legs faster, everything in her screaming with anger and she jumped, landing on top of the redhead, they rolled across the ground before sliding in the dirt. Cori grappled at her, trying to get a hold on her but before she could Victoria wedged her feet between them and pushed upwards, sending Cori into the air. She groaned as she hit a tree branch then fell to the ground.

"I hate her." She muttered as she pushed herself up, quickly catching up to the others just as Victoria jumped across a small riven and Cori tried to follow her, but Emmett quickly locked his arms around her waist and pulled her back. "Let me go!" She struggled against him, prying his arms off of her as the other came to a stop near the edge, Carlisle holding his hand up. "Why'd you stop me?" She finally broke from his hold and turned, shoving his chest. "What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Cori, stop." He tried but that only seemed to make her more angry and she threw a punch. "Cori!" He pinned her arms to her sides before she could hit him, and she struggled in his hold before breaking free.

"She's in their territory." Carlisle put his hand on the newborn's shoulder and her head snapped towards him, confusion in her crimson irises.

"Whose territory?" She asked.

"Um, guys, not to interrupt..." Travis leaned over. "... but, uh..." He pointed and they turned to see the redhead booking it down the other side of the river. Cori was the first to take off, running along the edge of the river, the others close behind her.

"She'll get away!" Esme shouted, knowing they couldn't jump the border, then movement broke through the trees and the wolves were on her heels, snapping and growling.

"No, she won't!" Jasper shouted, running faster as Cori faltered - their territory. The wolves. Her friends. Paul. She quickly shook her head, focusing only on the redhead, the vampire that wanted her sister dead, the vampire that caused the wreck that killed her. Filled with a rage she had never felt before, Cori ran. Pushing herself faster than she thought she could ever move.

Victoria jumped the border again, Paul snapping at her arm but he just barely missed, then Emmett and Jasper were on her heels. She pushed off of a tree, jumping upwards and Jasper jumped, but he missed her by a few inches. She got away and he hit the dirt as she jumped the border again.

"Cori!" Rosalie shouted, but the girl had already pushed off the edge and was soaring to the other side - Emmett not far behind her. And just as her feet hit the ground she was knocked back, a groan leaving her lips as she hit a rock and tumbled into the water. Emmett pulled her up, putting himself between her and the silver wolf that growled at them.

"Paul?" Cori's voice was small as she looked up at the wolf, his teeth bared as he snarled.

"Back up." Emmett told her, keeping his large body in front of her. "Cori, now." But she couldn't move, her eyes were locked on Paul, who was far too angry to register that it was her looking up at him. Emmett took a few slow steps back, forcing Cori to move with him, then he turned, his arms around her waist and they were out of the water, both dripping wet.

"That was stupid." Travis huffed, but Cori was frozen, her eyes locked on the other side of the river where Paul stood, his eyes on her and she saw the moment realization washed over him. She saw the confusion melt into anger before he threw his head back, an angry howl echoing through the air before he turned and ran off with the howls of the pack filtering through the trees.

"Cori?" Emmett put his hands on her cheeks and her eyes focused on him. "Are you okay?"

"I hate you." The words, laced with anger and sadness, sounded like venom. And they hit him like a ton of bricks. She pushed him back into a tree then turned before disappearing into the night.

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▬▬ CORI HUFFED AS SHE laid on her bed, her eyes on the ceiling as she listened to Charlie snoring just down the hall. She closed her eyes, the urge to cry or scream welling up again. She took a breath as her fingers curled around her blankets then her phone buzzed and she pulled it from her pocket. She sighed a little when she saw Carter's name on the screen, but she hit the green button and held it to her ear.

"Are you okay?"

"No." She shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "I'm not." She choked back a sob.

"Talk to me, please." He begged and the sound broke her heart.

"I can't. Not about this." She wiped her eyes even though no tears had formed. "I know that's not good enough and you deserve more, but that's all I can give you right now. I'm sorry."

"You're freaking me out, Cori."

She took a breath, her hand tightening around her covers. "Look, um, we can't..." She wasn't sure what to call it. "We have to stop... whatever this is. Our friends with benefits arrangement."

"Okay." He agreed then there was a pause. "Stop the benefits part or all of it?"

"I still want..." she still wanted to be with him. She wanted to see where it would go, but she didn't want him to know what she was. "You're still my best friend. I just... I'm going through some stuff right now-"

"So tell me. Maybe I can help." He argued and she squeezed her eyes closed.

"I love you, Carter, but you really can't help with this. And I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it to you fully and that kills me, but I-"

"I love you, too, Peanut." He cut her off, not wanting to hear anymore. "So, tomorrow, I'll see you at school and we're gonna have lunch together, with Noah. And everything will be okay. You can tell me as much or as little as you want, just know that whatever you tell me will never change how I feel about you."

Another choked sob left her lips, a broken chuckle following it. "Okay." She nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Best friends?"

"Always."