The baseball field had gone dead quiet.
Lightning still flashed, thunder still rolled—but every Cullen now stood perfectly still, golden eyes trained on the treeline like cats watching a laser pointer.
Annabelle, standing in the middle with a cracked bat and zero context, squinted at the trees.
"Okay. Everyone just got real tense. Did someone fart or is this a vampire thing?"
Then they stepped out.
Enter: Team Problematic
Three strangers. Three walking red flags.
Laurent – smooth, smug, French. Dressed like a Renaissance vampire with a modeling contract.
Victoria – feral energy, barefoot, and somehow had 10,000 layers of red hair despite no visible hairbrush.
James – the alpha predator. Long blonde hair. Leather jacket. Smelled like blood and bad decisions. Eyes locked on Annabelle immediately.
"Oh no," she thought, already irritated. "This one thinks he's the main character."
The Awkward Hello
Carlisle, as always, tried to be diplomatic.
"Welcome. We were just finishing a game. I'm Carlisle Cullen."
Laurent stepped forward, smiling like he didn't regularly eat people."We heard the thunder… couldn't resist joining. May we?"
Victoria sniffed the air like a fox in a steakhouse.
James, however, never broke eye contact with Annabelle.
"You smell… interesting."
Annabelle crossed her arms. "Thanks. I use glitter deodorant and regret."
Tension Rises
Edward stepped forward, tense. "She's not part of this."
"Oh," James purred, "she's not one of you?"
"Nope," Annabelle said. "Just visiting. Playing ball. Breaking records. Existing gloriously."
James tilted his head. "You smell different."
Annabelle narrowed her eyes. "So do you, Patchouli Dracula."
Emmett (Surprisingly) Breaks the Silence
"You wanna play baseball, sure. You want a fight? You're not ready for her."
Rosalie scoffed. "You just want to watch her fight."
"I need to know if she can suplex a vampire. For science."
Carlisle stepped in quickly. "Enough. Let's not escalate. Please."
But James Won't Let It Go
He took a step closer to Annabelle.
"You're not a normal human," he said, voice low. "I can feel it."
"I was normal," she said. "Then I reincarnated into a glitter-themed horror story."
Edward growled, stepping between them.
James just smirked. "Let's play a game, then."
Victoria cracked her knuckles. Laurent watched quietly, still smiling like this was a wine tasting and not a probable vampire turf war.
Annabelle Steps Up
She tossed aside the broken bat, rolled her shoulders, and grinned like a lunatic.
"Sure. Let's play. But quick warning: I don't lose, I recalculate victory conditions."
Lightning split the sky behind her like nature itself was her hype man.
Alice blinked. "Oh no. She's going to fight him."
"She really is," Jasper muttered.
"She's not even scared," Esme said.
"No," Edward said, watching her with new concern.
"She's thrilled."
James Charges…
Fast. A blur of motion. Even the Cullens barely saw it.
But Annabelle?
She sidestepped.
Clotheslined him.
And sent the tracker spinning into the mud like a Beyblade of failure.
James staggered, dazed.
Victoria shrieked.
Annabelle pointed at him and said, "Dude, did you just get dropkicked by a teenage girl in glitter boots?"
Final Showdown? Nope – Strategic Retreat
Victoria snarled and crouched to pounce.
But Laurent stepped between them.
"That's enough," he said smoothly. "We didn't come to start a war."
James hissed, but didn't move.
Laurent glanced at Carlisle. "We'll go. But she's marked now."
"Say that again," Emmett dared, cracking his knuckles.
Annabelle just winked.
"Cool. First vampire rival unlocked."
Aftermath
As the trio disappeared into the trees, Emmett whooped.
"YOU CLOTHESLINED A VAMPIRE. THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL."
Alice clapped. "Ten out of ten. Drama, style, flair."
Edward was quiet. Watching her. Thinking.
Carlisle placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll need to talk more. About what you are."
Annabelle stretched, cracking her neck.
"Sure, Doc. But first I need protein and a nap. Possibly at the same time."