〖 chapter xi: A FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT〗

Wysteria was standing just outside the largest, prettiest house she had ever seen. It looked like one out of those magazines about celebrities houses. It was mostly windows on the outside and it was two stories. Wysteria could see at least one other person inside, peering down at her from the second story. She was blonde and intimidatingly pretty. She also looked to be around Wysteria's age. Was that Edward's sister? "You live here?" Wysteria demanded as Edward walked up the steps to his house. The rain was subsiding but the clouds still rumbled every now and then with lingering thunder. Edward glanced down at her with a small smile.

"Yeah, come on. You're shivering. It's warmer inside." Wysteria slowly followed. The blonde from the window had disappeared and Wysteria pursed her lips. Should she really enter a strangers home? Wysteria sneezed. Yup, she was going to enter a strangers home. Wysteria took the steps two at a time and Edward smiled at her as she rushed past him to get inside. Wysteria looked around slowly, feeling like she had entered another realm. Everything was so clean and modern. It barely looked lived in. Did people actually live here?

"Dad!" Edward called out. "I'm back." A man appeared at the top of the stairs. He was blonde and looked to be only in his mid thirties, almost a little too young to have a son as old as Edward.

"Oh my, you're both drenched." The man said, coming down the stairs quickly. He touched Wysteria's arm lightly. "You look to be about my daughters size. We'll get you into some or her clothes. Alice!" He called up the stairs. Instead of the blonde, like Wysteria had thought, a smaller girl with pixie hair and cute features appeared. She was wearing what looked like silk pajama pants and a faded blue shirt.

"Oh no, come upstairs with me. I'll get you dry." Alice said with a warm smile, holding out her hand. Wysteria looked to Edward feeling a little weird. What time was it? Why did it seem like everyone in this family was awake? Only Alice seemed to be wearing actual clothes to sleep in. Edward and their dad were in jeans and Mr. Cullen even had on a button up shirt. Edward nodded lightly and Wysteria sighed before heading up the stairs. She took Alice's hand. She also felt really cold. What was with this family?

"Hi, sorry if I... Woke you." Alice smiled.

"I'm a light sleeper, we all are. What's your name?"

"Wysteria Redbird." Alice nodded as if she already knew that. Maybe she did. They lived here with the pale faces but Wysteria was sure her arrival to Forks hadn't gone unnoticed in this part of town either.

"Well Wysteria. I'm glad you're here. Let's find you some nice comfortable clothes." Alice entered a room that looked like it should have been a bedroom but... There was no bed. Regardless, Alice went to the closet nearby and pulled out some neatly folded sweatpants and a shirt similar to the one she was wearing. "Bathroom is just down the hall." Alice said, pointing behind Wysteria. She nodded and began to head that way as Alice watched her. When Wysteria closed the door and began to change out of her wet shirt, it was only then that she realized her feet were still bare. She had tracked dirt and mud all over the Cullen house. Wysteria was so embarrassed she could have screamed. Instead, she sat on the edge of the tub and ran the water a little, not caring that it was cold. She just had to get the dirt off.

When Wysteria was satisfied with the results, she stood up on the bath mat and began to take off her pajamas pants. They were rimmed with dirt around the ankles and Wysteria sighed. What a total train wreck she was. Wysteria put on the sweatpants and then the shirt, already feeling warmer. There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Wysteria watched Alice peek her head in and smile.

"Better?" Wysteria nodded and Alice opened the door further. "Let me blow dry your hair for you."

"Oh that's... That's not really necessary. I should actually go apologize to your dad. I tracked mud all over the house didn't I?" Alice laughed.

"Its okay. Mom doesn't mind. She loves cleaning. She'll take any excuse to mop the floor." Wysteria pursed her lips, still feeling bad. "Let me blow dry your hair. I promise you'll feel a lot better when I do." Wysteria sighed but eventually nodded. Alice beamed and opened a drawer, pulling out a cordless blow dryer. She also produced what was apparently an unused hairbrush, judging by how it still had its factory tags on it. Alice set both these things on the counter and then flitted out, returning moments later with a chair that had a low back. She gestured for Wysteria to sit and so she did. The blow dryer started up and Wysteria began to slowly calm down as Alice meticulously brushed her hair. Wysteria had never had her hair brushed before. She was almost positive her father would just send her to school with whatever bedhead Wysteira had woken up with. It wasn't until Wysteria asked him for a brush that she actually started to brush it out herself. Is this what it would have felt like to have her mother brush her hair as a kid? By the time Alice turned off the blow dryer, Wysteria was smiling.

"Thanks Alice."

"Not a problem! Dad is anxious to see you though. He's worried you might catch a cold."

"What about Edward?" Alice shrugged.

"Edward's got a pretty good immune system. He should be fine." Wysteria nodded.

"How did... How did Edward find me anyways?"

"Before the storm started, we heard somebody shouting. Edward thought someone might be in trouble and went out to look and he found you." Alice said with a smile.

"Edward must have good hearing I mean... I was close to your house but not that close." Alice shrugged as they headed back downstairs.

"Edwards good at a lot of things." Alice brought her into the kitchen where Edward, their dad, and a women Wysteria could only assume was their mother, stood. Their mother had kind features and beautiful brown hair. She also, Wysteria was realizing, had the same captivating hazel eyes that both Alice, Edward and their father had.

"Umm.. Hello."

"Hello dear. Are you feeling better?" Mrs. Cullen said, holding out a cup to her. It smelled like lavender tea, Wysteria's favorite.

"Yes, much better. Thanks for... letting me come here." Wysteria said, looking back and forth between all of them as she took small sips from her mug.

"It's not a problem Wysteria." Mr. Cullen said. "Let's have a seat at the dining table. I want to make sure you won't catch a cold before your mother gets here."

"M-my mother?" Wysteria stammered out. Edward pursed his lips.

"I'm sorry. I took the liberty of... Calling her. She had already found out you were missing. The whole Reservation has apparently been on high alert the past couple hours."

"What... What time is it?" Wysteria stammered out.

"About three in the morning sweetheart." Mrs. Cullen said. "You got here a little after two-thirty." Wysteria felt a lump forming in her stomach.

"Oh no. God I'm such a..." Wysteria felt like throwing up. Why couldn't she just be fucking normal? What had even happened tonight? Was she sleepwalking? Dreaming? Had she actually seen her father? Did she eat some bad food at the party. "I'm sorry." Wysteria said, unsure of what else to say.

"Hey, its okay sweetheart." Mrs. Cullen said, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "Everything's fine." People kept telling her that but nothing felt fine. Everything about her had felt horribly fucked up since her father died. Mr. Cullen gently led her to the dining room table where she drank the rest of the tea while he did a few tests on her and asked a couple of questions about her health.

"Have you been known to sleepwalk before?"

"No. This... This would be the first time." Mr. Cullen nodded solemnly.

"Well, sleep walking is often induced by stress." He said and Wysteria could feel the implied question in there. He wanted to know if she was stressed out.

"Oh, I didn't know that." Was Wysteria's answer. Mr. Cullen looked to Edward. From the corner of her eye, Wisteria thought she could see him frown.

"Well, you might get a fever that will take a couple of days to sweat out but otherwise, you should be okay." Mr. Cullen said, touching her knee lightly.

"Wysteria's mother is here." Came a new voice behind her. Wysteria turned. It was the blonde girl, looking even more intimidating up close. She had a slight frown on her face, eyeing Wysteria almost warily.

"Thank you Rosalie." Mr. Cullen said. Rosalie walked away slowly, without making a sound. Mr. Cullen stood. "Come, I'm sure they're anxious to see you." Wysteria nodded as Alice appeared, producing some socks and sneakers.

"Here, they're yours." Alice said triumphantly, placing them in Wysteria's hands.

"I... I cant take your shoes. They look brand new." Wysteria argued. Alice just shrugged.

"They're only shoes Ria." Wysteria felt like crying all of a sudden. Everyone was being so nice to her and she didn't feel she deserved it. Without warning, Wysteria threw her arms around Alice in a hug but it was almost like Alice expected this because she gently hugged Wysteria back.

"Thank you, all of you." Wysteria said through bleary eyes. "I'm sorry for being a burden."

"You were no trouble at all." Mrs. Cullen said.

"We were glad to help." Mr. Cullen said. Wysteria nodded and quickly put on the socks and shoes right there by the door. She could see her mother and two other people standing outside, looking anxious. Wysteria stepped outside with Mr. Cullen and Edward. Alice and Mrs. Cullen remained inside. As soon as Wysteria emerged from the house, her mother rushed to hug her, running up the steps of the house.

"Celosia!" Wysteria heard her Uncle Harry Clearwater shout. Wysteria would have wondered why if her mother wasn't hugging her and crying.

"Oh my little bird. My little girl." Wysteria's bottom lip trembled as she hugged her mom back tightly. "What happened Wysteria? Edward said he found you in the middle of the woods in the rain. How did you get out here?" Her mother said, pulling back slightly.

"I don't know." Wysteria said, holding back a sob. "Dr. Cullen thinks I was sleepwalking but I've never done that before. I'm sorry I scared you I didn't mean too." Wysteria said, feeling awkward for crying in front of Dr. Cullen and Edward.

"Oh it's okay sweetheart. You're safe. You're okay now." Her mother huffed her again and Wysteria buried her face in her mothers hair.

"I'm sure you're all very tired. Wysteria especially." Dr. Cullen said gently. "It's best that you all go home and get some rest." Her mother nodded and moved to shake Dr. Cullen's hand.

"Thank you Dr. Cullen and thank you Edward, for finding my daughter." Edward nodded.

"Happy to help." He said softly. Her mother took her hand but before Wysteria could be pulled away, she glanced over at Edward, let go of her mothers hand and hugged him.

"Thanks Edward." He patted her back lightly.

"Don't worry about it. Go home. Get some sleep." Wysteria nodded, smiling a little.

"You too. You look half dead." Edward smirked as Wysteria took her mothers hand again. Together the two of them walked down to Sue and Harry. Wysteria swore that her Uncle was glaring up at the Cullen's but she didn't understand why.

The drive back to the Reservation was a quiet one. Wysteria and her mother sat in the backseat of her Aunts car while she drove. Wysteria was exhausted and almost passed out on her mothers shoulder. They arrived back at their house before she could do that though. Wysteria swallowed hard. There were still cop cars around and Leah, Seth, Jacob and Billy were all sitting on their front porch. Wysteria swallowed hard. Her mother rubbed her arm lightly and slowly, Wysteria emerged from the car.

The police wanted to take a statement. Her mother still wanted to take her to see a doctor but all Wysteria wanted was to go to sleep. "Little red." Jacob said as she approached her house, her mother following behind her. Wysteria wouldn't even look at him.

"Ria?" Seth said. Wysteria winced at how sad he sounded. His birthday party was hours ago. He should be home, in bed, thinking about all the nice present he had received. She was sure everyone was looking at her with pity right now.

"I'm sorry I'm tired. It's been...  A long night." Wysteria wished she could have stayed at the Cullen's longer. At least there she didn't feel as judged. None of them really knew her. Here, she felt like everyone was pitying her. With that, Wysteria walked into the house as her mother quietly began to talk to everyone else outside. Wysteria's bottom lip trembled. What had Leah called her? Hot gossip? Well, the Reservation was about to have months worth of conversation about her at this rate.