Twilight

Well, it's happened, I'm joining the crowd, and starting to read the best seller Twilight. I'm on page 66, and that is miraculous because every time I pick up the book, someone gets the urge to call me and talk for a minute or so.
I'm puzzled by the way Edward is reacting toward Bella, first with complete hate and loathing, then a week later, totally charming. I know ahead of time that in the Twilight books there are vampires, but the description of Edward with his fair, fair skin and slight purple circles under his eyes gave me the hint that Edward, and all the Cullen clan are the Vampires, from Alaska no less!! At least it's not the overly cliched Transylvania.
One question, when did Vampires acquire the talents of super-sonic speed? In all the old Bella Lugosi films, vampires walked at human speeds, but could turn into bats. I wonder if Edward can turn into a bat?