I'd heard about the new girl at school before I saw her. The people I heard talking about her said she was pretty. That was if a boy was speaking. The girls said she was weird and unfriendly. So I guessed the boys were right, and the girls were jealous.

A lot of people like making friends with new students. Like it's an oppurtunity to take control or something. But I was perfectly happy with the friends I had. I didn't hope to be in a class with the new girl. I just wanted to see her, to see if the boys were right.

I had no doubt it was her when I first saw her in gym class. She didn't look like anyone else at Forks High. It wasn't just that she was really pretty- there were other students like that- but she was different in another way. She had a confidence about her that you knew was there, even without talking to her. She had tanned skin- tanned like she spent lots of time outside doing things, not just sunbaking. Her eyes were bright, bright green- they almost shone when the light reflected off them. Her eyes were a nice shape as well, curling up just a tiny bit on the sides. Her hair had blonde and straight and sort of midlength, not short and not long. She wore it out, flowing around her shoulders. She was short; a head shorter than me at least and I wasn't a tall guy. But despite her height, her brown legs looked long.

She didn't have a partner. She was standing alone, looking out of place amoung the simulary dressed students in her casual clothes- short, black shorts and a white t-shirt that said I heart Oz. I didn't know what Oz was- was it like the Wizard of Oz?- but it still looked cool. Without even thinking about it, I approached her.

"Do you have a partner?" I asked. I meant to sound cool and confident, like she was, but it came out like I was a shy nerd asking the most popular girl in school. Which wasn't so far from the truth, really.

"No. Do you?" She said. She had an accent I didn't recognise. It wasn't really exoctic sounding, it was just different.

"No." I replied. There was a pause.

This is where you're supposed to ask her to be your partner, idiot! I screamed at myself. I opened my mouth to speak, but she did first.

"We'll be partners then." she said.

I nodded like the mute idiot I was.

"I'm Juniper," she said.

Juniper. What a funny name. But I didn't really react to it. I had a friend called River in primary school- apparently his mom had loved River Pheonix- and he hated it when people reacted to his name. So I kept my face blank, as if she'd said her name was Julia.

"Andy," I said.

She looked surprised for half a second- maybe she was expecting a reaction to her name. Maybe I should have reacted? But she looked pleased, so maybe she was gald I hadn't.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"You too." I said, maybe a little too quickly. "So... you're new here right?"

I knew the answer of course, but it was something to say. It gave me time to think of something cool to say to her.

"Yeah," she replied. "Today's my first day."

I nodded.

"Did you just move to Forks or something?" A bit of a stupid question, but it bought me more time.

"Yeah, a few days ago."

I nodded again. Should I ask where she lived? Or would I look like a stalker? Maybe just her phone number? But then it would look like I wanted to ask her out. Which I wouldn't mind doing actually...

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but then we were called to start playing.

We played volleyball together. She looked too short to be able to play very well, and so I tried to cover most of the court. It turned out she was better than I thought- she got under every ball I missed and occassionaly would duck in front of me to take a shot herself.

After gym I went to the changerooms. All the guys were talking about the pretty new girl.

"She's pretty hot. Where's she from?" Ben Miller was saying.

"Australia. Didn't you notice the t-shirt?" Daniel Tarraway replied.

So that was what Oz meant.

"Australia? That's ages away. Why do you reackon she's moved here?" Mike Newton joined in. Ben and Daniel looked at him like What are you doing talking to us? Ben and Daniel were both tall football players and generally thought they were better than the rest of the gym class.

"Who cares! I'm asking her out." Ben said.

"She won't go out with you!" A skinny boy named Clive said.

"And she'll go out with you will she?" Ben replied.

"Nah, she's the type that goes out with seniors." Daniel mused, probably wondering if he could convince her he was one, with his height and his sixpack.

"Or just really good looking guys." Clive said.

"What, like you?" Daniel said scornfully.

"Nah, like... I dunno... people like Edward Cullen." Clive said.

Ben snorted. "Cullen? He's a freak. And he doesn't talk to anyone anyway."

"She doesn't talk to anyone really either." Clive said defensively.

"The only person she talked to today was that Andy kid." Daniel agreed.

They seemed to realise I was standing there and turned to me.

"What did she say to you anyway?"

I shrugged.

"Not much. I just asked her if she wanted to be my partner and she said yes."

Ben and Daniel exchanged a meaningful look, and then Daniel put a hand on my shoulder, making a show of leaning down to be at my eye level, even though I was less than a head shorter than he was. Some other guys snickered.

"Andy, I know it might feel like she likes you and you're probably thinking that in time you could even ask her out, but in reality she was just being nice to you today. It wouldn't really be fair if you asked her out when Ben and I have both said we want to, would it."

I said nothing.

"Bros before hoes mate." Ben said. "I mean, sure you can be friends with her or whatever you want to do, but don't say we didn't warn you when she ditches you to hang out with, well, cooler people."

Daniel straightened up and him and Ben left the changeroom.

I got some smirks from some people and some sympathetic glances from others. I packed up my stuff and left, wondering if Ben and Daniel were right- maybe Juniper was just being nice when she agreed to be my partner. But I didn't agree with them about having first shot asking her out. I'd do what I wanted. But even as I thought that, I knew I'd never be brave enough to ask Juniper on a date.

I went out to the car park. It was begginning to get busy with students coming to their cars. I saw a blonde girl race away on a motorised scooter. Was that Juniper? I thought it must be because I'd never seen anyone on a scooter before. But why didn't she have a car? I felt sorry for her, riding home in the rain. I should offer her a lift in my car sometime... Who was I kidding? I'd never have the guts to offer her a lift home.

I got into my own car and drove home, all the way thinking about the tanned, blonde girl with green eyes.