There was very little I had to break the tedium of high school. The same dull teachers, the same immature students, the same subjects I'd studied a dozen times before... the same scores of chattering voices I had to struggle to block to keep them from pouring through my mind like a flooded river and taking my sanity away with them.

This was the worst part of the day. Distance dulled most minds, so during a class I only had to work to keep out the twenty or so minds of my fellow classmates while the rest was merely an indistinct murmur in the background. However, here in the cafeteria during lunch, the babble of thoughts was so thick I could nearly see it.

Today it was harder than usual. Against the backdrop of the usual thoughts about homework, relationships, and rebellion against parents there were some relatively new thoughts, poking at my mind insistently though even though I'd already heard several times throughout the day. In a town as small as this even a single new person is noticeable, and today had blessed the dull population with an apparently particularly interesting distraction: the newly-orphaned niece of our police chief.

I had caught several glimpses of Isabella Swan in the minds of others and could see nothing special about her, certainly nothing to inspire the fake friendship offered by several of the girls and the developing lust in several of the boys. Her sheer newness must account for it. It would fade soon enough, hopefully before I had to endure many more fantasies about her.

There were only four minds in the room I tried to block out of courtesy instead of for my own sanity: my family, my "siblings" who were trapped with me in this dull torture. However, a combination of familiarity and proximity usually made them all too easy to read.

Rosalie was, predictably, full of pettiness. She dealt with the boredom differently than the rest of us; with her talent for seeing when others were lying or hiding secrets, she spent much of the school day monitoring the students around her for signs of intrigue in an effort to know all of the small town's gossip. She often pulled me into her never-ending quest for secrets that would allow her to feel superior to everyone around her, and I usually complied to keep her off my back.

Emmett beside her was a more comfortable mind to sink into. He was the only one among us still capable of getting poor grades; he knew the material as well as we did, but simply didn't care in the slightest. However, his teachers usually cut him a lot of slack because of how optimistic and cheerful he was. Secretly I thought him a little simple, but a moment in his mind was usually restful. Today he was thinking of nothing more than trying to figure out how to get Jasper to agree to a rematch to the wrestling match Emmett had lost before school. He hated to lose, and with his superior strength he felt he should win; however, brute force was no match for Jasper's long practice in vampire wars.

Jasper himself was the hardest mind to stay in, especially right now. Having come to our non-human-drinking way of life fairly late in his undeath, he was the least practiced of us and the most tempted. I, too, could smell the blood of a hundred warm bodies around us, but the reactions - burning thirst in my throat, a tightening of muscles to pounce, the hollowing of my stomach - were familiar to me, and could be ignored. Jasper had a much harder time, and reading his mind was like creating a second thirst in myself.

Edward.

Long practice kept me from automatically turning my head whenever someone thought my name, but this wasn't a thought; Alice was calling me. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

How is Jasper doing?

I slightly raised my shoulder closest to her in the smallest of shrugs. Alice turned to Jasper immediately, placing a hand on his arm as her mind raced to possible futures, trying to ferret out if Jasper was merely struggling as he usually did or actually becoming dangerous.

Jasper glanced at her. I knew, from reading his mind, that he meant the look to be reassuring. Alice also knew, though her method of knowledge was a little more nebulous. She and Jasper shared a bond so close that it was almost as if they, too, could read minds - only each others'.

I wondered if she'd also picked up on the flash of anger and temptation to rebel I'd read in Jasper's mind in the fleeting second when she'd first touched his arm.

"You won't hurt anyone," Alice whispered, so quietly that even if a human were at our table they wouldn't have been able to hear. The visions in her mind backed this up; in every possible future she could see Jasper returned to my car after school thirsty and tired but stalwart.

Jasper nodded once and looked away. Alice, knowing when to stop, picked up her tray of untouched food, dumped it in the nearest trash can, and left the cafeteria.

...Cullens.

I hadn't caught the first part of the thought, but our name made me perk up. It was my job to keep an ear out for anyone getting suspicious, any new rumors, anything that might require us to pull out and leave before someone could get too close to our secret. This mind was a familiar one, and I quickly found it among the dizzying babble of voices around me.

Maybe if I dish on some local gossip she'll open up a little.

Ah yes, Jessica. Her voice was familiar because she had only recently gotten over a crush on me. Her fantasies had been many, varied, and occasionally graphic, and I'd had trouble blocking out a single one of them. There were a couple of points at which I'd nearly broken down and told her exactly what would happen were I to get that close to her...

But I had to pay attention. She was talking to the new girl. She's faking, I can tell. She looked over at them as soon as she got in the cafeteria. She totally wants to know about them.

I smiled a little. It constantly amused me how intuitive humans thought they were. High school students in particular were often both incredibly unperceptive and sure in their talent for reading faces.

There was no point in continuing to listen to Jessica's mind; she was merely going to relay the commonly known rumors about us without so much as an ounce of horror or even a smidgen of deviation from what we'd stealthily spread ourselves. Instead, I searched the room around her, listening for the one voice that would be unfamiliar.

She's not even that pretty... A truly petty girl named Lauren, her mind as usual full of cattiness.

I wonder if I should ask her out now, or wait until later... I suppressed another smile; this voice was a blond boy named Mike, also known (to me) as Jessica's new crush. It looked like she was about to be disappointed again.

I think I'm prepared for the quiz, but I'll go over the vocabulary again after dinner... Angela's kind mind was always comfortable; she, alone of the others at the table, wasn't obsessing over this new girl.

Then what could it be that they're - As soon as I focused on this voice, it was cut off as if a door had slammed shut.

I glanced up, feeling off-balance. My eyes met those of the new girl. She looked away quickly, warm red pooling in her cheeks and momentarily distracting me. I quickly shook off the image as her hair fell forward to hide her face; I was just as thirsty as Jasper even if I was more practiced. Instead, I focused on the space the new girl occupied, listening as hard as I could, the minds nearby growing louder in response.

I'll just have to ask for help with my math homework...

Ugh, I should bring my own lunch, like Bella did...

I wonder if she likes dances?

But the space occupied by the dark-haired Isabella was silent.

I heard Jessica speak aloud. "Edward is looking at you," she said with a giggle, while her thoughts took a jealous turn.

"Which one is he?" I recognized her voice; it matched the mind I'd been suddenly shut out of.

"He's the youngest, with the reddish-brown hair."

"Oh." Even with my enhanced hearing, I barely picked up that breath of a word. She peeked through her hair, saw me still staring, and again looked quickly away. "Stop looking at him," she mumbled to Jessica.

At least she doesn't seem to want him... yet. She'll be crushing by the end of the week. Despite her confidence in this prediction, Jessica obligingly turned away from me and changed the subject, now trying to get back to her original goal - getting juicy details from Isabella about her life in Arizona, most importantly what happened to her parents. She was sure it was something drastic since Isabella had transferred here two weeks into the semester and started school on a Wednesday. I wanted to roll my eyes at the lack of tact, even as I continued to try to figure out where Isabella's mind had gone.

Edward. The direct and smug thought broke my concentration, and I came back to the table to find Emmett smirking at me. You like the look of the new girl, do you? Trust you to start crushing on a human.

I shook my head slightly and tried to glare at him while also keeping an eye on Rosalie, hoping against hope she wouldn't notice. Thank god Emmett had had the sense to speak to my mind rather than out loud. I didn't want Rose involved in this at all until I could assure her that the new girl posed no threat. She and Jasper liked to... jump to conclusions when our secrets were concerned.

Emmett didn't buy it. You've been staring at her for like half of lunch, he thought with casual hyperbole. If you aren't crushing, then what's so interesting about her?

I shrugged and looked down at the table. Emmett smothered a laugh, taking my reaction as an admission of "crushing," but thankfully Rose distracted him for me by preparing to leave. We both quickly followed suit, he because he couldn't stand to leave Rose alone in anything, me because I had nothing better to do. Obviously I was getting nowhere trying to find her mind across a crowded cafeteria. I'd have to wait until fate or planning brought us closer together.

At least this puzzle would help me stave off boredom.

I had biology next, one of my favorite classes because I had a seat in the back with a table to myself. Some instinct - or perhaps my glares - had kept the other students from sitting next to me. Mr. Banner, knowing that I could be in an advanced course anyway, let me do all partner work alone. We even chatted occasionally. Last week he had suggested I consider going into medicine. I had nodded thoughtfully, not mentioning the two medical degrees I already had.

I sat at my desk, dropping my backpack on the floor, and leaned back to think of the new girl. Isabella. I was sure I had read her mind, for that split second, and yet I hadn't been able to find her mind again. How had that happened? I'd never before met someone who could block my ability, never mind someone who seemed to be doing it on purpose.

The heater kicked on, blowing directly at me. I started holding my breath as soon as I felt the dry heat brush my skin. This was the only downside to my seat, but since it really only mattered at the beginning or end of class when there was a chance a student would pass between me and the heater, I didn't have to worry about it too much.

And what's more, had Isabella realized it was me who read her mind? Probably, I thought with some discomfort. I had been staring at her, after all. Would that cause problems? Would she tell someone? How would I know if she did, since I couldn't read her mind?

Hopefully this lecture would be an easy one and Mr. Banner wouldn't think to call on me. It seems I had some searching to do. Letting Rosalie, and the others, know that I couldn't read Isabella's mind was one thing; telling them I had given her a clear clue to who it was reading her mind and then didn't follow up to see if she told anyone about it... that would not go over well, to put it mildly. I'd be in trouble for weeks, and there's a decent chance at least one of them would suggest we kill her to be sure.

I winced and began pushing my mind, trying to pick up thoughts or images of the new girl. My effort was instantly rewarded.

Bella seems as shy as I am. Angela's thoughts, in the hallway just outside the door. I'll bet today is hard for her.

The door opened. I glanced back and watched as Angela waved a little at Isabella before heading to her own seat. Isabella herself continued down the aisle toward Mr. Banner's desk, her face hidden from my view by her hair as she stared down at the ground.

Where are you hiding your mind, new girl...

I was somewhat turned toward her, watching her as she passed, probing hard for any hint of her mind. A little too hard. I forgot the classroom around me, forgot the heater blowing at me, forgot that I was holding my breath.

She passed through the heater's path just as I took a breath in. Her scent blew at me like a potent wind. My throat caught fire.

I'd never smelled anyone like her. Human scents, though different from each other, were all similar; Isabella's was another thing entirely. It had spiciness. Depth. I couldn't find the words to explain it.

I could kill everyone in the room in seconds and have time to drink her dry before anyone noticed.

Muscles tense, throat burning, stomach twisting; I had to take a moment to get myself under some semblance of control. As I wrestled with my monstrous desires, as she finished taking the step that had put her between me and the heater, she glanced at me, peeking through her hair. I was just sane enough to be surprised by the look in her eyes. I had expected the shock, and the fear; my face must be a twisted mask as I fought the thirst. But she was also... determined.

She knows.

She knows?

The thought distracted me from the monster inside. Isabella continued down the aisle in a hurry now, nearly tripping over the chair at the table in front of me. With quick motions, quicker than I should have used while surrounded by humans, I got out a notebook and slammed it on the table, using the action to waft a gust of clean air past my face.

The memory of her scent still burned in my throat, on the back of my tongue, but now at least I had some semblance of concentration back, and enough presence of mind to go back to holding my breath.

She knows.

I wasn't sure how I could be sure. Her mind, as I narrowly stared at her speaking with Mr. Banner, was as closed to me as ever. Were her eyes so expressive? Or was there a chance that, when startled by my face, she'd dropped whatever block had shut me out in the cafeteria?

"...next to Edward," Mr. Banner was saying, gesturing to the empty seat beside me. I had forgotten. It was the only unassigned seat left in the room.

Isabella didn't turn around, didn't speak.

"It's about time for class to start," Mr. Banner said encouragingly.

"Thanks." Her voice, pitched low, seemed stretched tight - with fear?

How could she not be afraid? She knew what I was. How did she know what I was?

She turned finally to head to her seat, and I quickly turned my head away, bracing myself for the moment when she'd pass through the heater again. Even turned away and not breathing, I could feel my nostrils tingling as her scent washed over me again; my throat burned with the memory of how the air had tasted.

It was only a passing thought for me to kill everyone in the room and devour this girl immediately. It would be much better, much less noticeable, if I waited. I could offer to walk her to her next class and lead her in the wrong direction, toward the library which would hide us from view of the rest of the school... no, no, that wasn't going to work.

I knew where she lived. In a town this small everyone knew where everyone lived, and that went double for the chief of police. He likely wouldn't be home until evening. I could creep into the house at twilight and - no, I wasn't going to kill her!

A part of me wondered where Alice was. I wanted to believe I was stronger than this, that the new girl wasn't really in danger, but it was much more likely she was concentrating too hard on Jasper to realize how very dangerous I had become.

The heater was still blowing. Fighting to keep my composure, my hands curled in fists on my knees, I thought of my father. Carlisle. He was my hero, my inspiration, the one hope I had for doing any good in this world while seemingly doomed to walk it forever as a demon. I knew he wouldn't punish me, wouldn't scold me, would immediately forgive me. But he would be disappointed.

She was just a girl. A girl with incredibly tempting blood, but I didn't have to be a monster. Carlisle often said that if we could focus on their humanity it would be easier to resist their blood. I slowly, carefully inclined my head slightly in her direction.

She was as far from me as she could get, perched on the edge of her chair, her notebook at the edge of our shared desk. She took notes at a furious pace, her chicken-scratch handwriting nearly impossible to read from this angle. She frequently crossed out words or starred or circled something she'd written, usually adding a question mark. I remembered that this, her first day, was in the middle of the week and two weeks into the semester. She was behind.

The heater finally ceased. I waited a moment, then took a cautious breath, as holding it had been getting increasingly uncomfortable. The air around me was still heavily scented, but I felt confident in my strength now. She was just a girl. Her blood was just blood, and I'd been resisting for decades. I didn't have to kill her. And with my sympathies aroused by her struggles and the monster in me tightly in check, I decided to try to reach for her mind again.

Still complete silence, but I found that the space was not empty; I could sense where her mind, almost see its shape. It was simply closed to me. A brick – no, steel – wall was between me and her thoughts.

As I concentrated I happened to glance back down at her notebook. Her note taking had slowed considerably, her pen clenched tightly in her hand. A slight flicker of movement indicated she'd probably glanced at me. I looked up, hoping to meet her eye; as I did, she swung her hair around to her other shoulder, her scent washing over me like a crashing wave as she exposed her slim neck. I could see blood pulsing under her skin. I turned away with a jerk, barely prevented myself from pulverizing the table leg with my fervent grip, and resigned myself to waiting out the painful 40 minutes left in class without either breathing or glancing the girl's way again.

She didn't make me wait a second longer. The bell hadn't even finished ringing before she was out of her chair, the door closing behind her before anyone else could get out of their seats.

I was glad of it; I had to get out of here myself. The desire to take a breath was getting stronger and I couldn't trust myself to breathe here, not with her scent still pooled around me. It would be the work of a moment to follow her trail...

I headed out to my car instead.