Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I am not Stephenie Meyer. So don't sue me. But i do own my OC Morgan.

I hate being the new girl. I know it sounds so cliché. The problem is, I don't fit in at all. At. All. They are all beautiful, and tan and have dark twinkling eyes. Their black hair shines. They laugh easily and have all grown up together since diapers. I'm from Iowa! I don't feel like I belong on an Indian Reservation. I am paler then I'd like to be. But, I would never ever step foot in a tanning bed. My father is way too smart to let me.

My father was offered a job that he absolutely could not resist. With the lab just down the road and outside the reserv, he got the right kind of permission and we moved in. He's a botanist so plants are his thing, and he wanted me out of the polluted cites. Haha as if. The closest town consists of only 3120 people, and zero factories for a long was I'd say Forks is very unpolluted. Oh well right? Whatever he says. I'm not one to argue.

I've been here about a week. Everyone is welcoming and all, but I'm not the type to just jump in and my friends. Not my thing. Once they saw how introverted I was, most people made a point to leave me alone.

Dad could see I was becoming more and more lonesome. I used to hang out with my friends all the time, back in Iowa. He got an email from the school the school talking about different activities and what's going on. He saw a post about needing tutors. Don't you just love it when your parents agree to something or sign you up, without actually asking you? My dad is that type of parent. Fun right?

As I walk to school, I dread it more and more. My rain boots clomp and slush in the puddles here and there. Does it ever stop raining! It has every day for 5 days straight! I really hope I get an okay partner, I mean, what if she's hopeless. What if she doesn't get math at all, or is constantly being nagging about it? I hate negative. My cup is half full. Always. I hope she's teachable! I love math.

I have tutoring right before math. Which is my 3rd hour free period. Not like I need a free period, I work fast in class. Fast and correct. I wouldn't call myself a nerd or anything. I'm more a background person. You don't notice me unless I'm your focus. Which is totally not likely. I feel invisible here. But, that's how I want it. When some people shine in the spotlight, I cringe back.

1st hour science flew by and so did 2nd hour Spanish. I try to sit in the back, but I'm helpless against seating arrangements. I grudgingly walk back to my locker. Then I remember I have to be positive, this wont be so bad. Maybe the girl's parents made her get a tutor because she bombed just one test. That wouldn't be so bad.

I twisted in my combo, and grabbed what I needed. I walked silently through the lively crowd. The hum of voices fills my head but I'm not actually listening. I bite my pinkie nail, which is an old habit I only pick up when I'm nervous. Why am I nervous! This is just going to be some kid that wants me to help them with something I'm good at!

I take an empty desk and lay out my books. Calculator ready, I take the time to look up and take everything in. The carpet is a plain-Jane tan color. The walls are off-white. There's a small window parallel the door. They just now upgraded from chalk boards to white boards. I know, Oh boy. I spot the teacher at her desk. Ms. Lahote was written on the board. She was deeply into her book.

I glance around. The other 8 two-person desks were all full. Each must be a tutor paired with another student. Maybe there wouldn't be another student coming and I could get off the hook! I watch the clock as it ticks. It finally reaches 10 o'clock and the bell rings. I sit and keep myself busy. I open my own book and become lost in the 1920's Flappers.
"Kind of you to join us, Mr. Call." Ms. Lahote's voice distracts me.

I find a paragraph to stop at and put my bookmark in. I glance up. I see him in the doorway. I wonder how much time passes. He's staring at me. I'm avoiding his eyes. He's normal height, but definitely taller than me. Tan skin and dark eyes like everyone else here. Definitely a Quileute. He's fit without being ripped. He has a notebook under one arm and a pencil in the other hand.

He seems to wake up from a daydream and smiles charmingly. His teeth seem to sparkle against his dark skin. He struts toward me and plops down in the seat next to me. I look to my lap at my fingers twined together.
"Hey, I'm Embry." He says. I really can't not look up.
"Hi." I say back. I'm not normally this shy?
"And you are…?"
"I'm Morgan." I say. I look into his eyes. They aren't as dark as they had seemed, more of a rich, chocolate brown.
"Well hello Morgan." He puts his hand out. It seems weird for 17 year olds to shake hands when they greet. Especially at a desk, at school. I take it. His hand is strong, and really warm. Not uncomfortable but still very warm. Like the driveway after a hot, sunny day. "Will you be tutoring me?" He said. He glanced around the room, like he must be here on accident. When he looked at me, he didn't just look. He seemed to be searching my eyes for something. Not in an expectant way, but just intensely. I hope I don't have something on my face.

"I guess so. " I reply. I feel so lame, so lost for words.

"'Kay cool." He smiled to himself. "You're new right? I definitely do no remember you."
Great, again with the new girl stuff. "Yes I am. I'm from Iowa." I said. It felt too informative. This is what I'd be saying for days. It came instantly out of my mouth. "My dad was offered a job at that Science lab off of 8th street."

"Cool. Do you like it here?" He asked. He didn't seem like he was faking the interest. His knee and mine kept bumping against each other. Small desks! I didn't mind the electric feeling that would shoot up my body each time, though.

I had to think about how to answer this. I decided to be honest with him "No." I slightly shook my head. I could feel my face drop and my act ended.

"Why not?" Earnest curiosity, getting the better of him.

"Long story." I replied. I didn't need to lecture him about how much I hate the small town that he has probably lived in his whole life.

"I got time." I smiled at me.

I don't know why, but I really trust him. I want to know him. I want to untangle my thoughts. I want to talk to at least one person. I want someone to understand why I'm unhappy. I know Dad is doing the best he can for me. I don't complain. The house now is better than the falling apart farmhouse I grew up on. We didn't actually have a farm. After my mother died, he went through depression. But, he always put the food on the table. I don't dwell on my childhood. I don't like remembering the funeral, or dad's vacant looks. I don't like to remember when we had sell land, acre by acre until we barely got a big enough check to keep us going.

"I don't." I answered to my lap.

The rest of that class went by quickly. He told me about his younger siblings he gets stuck babysitting, I told him about the siblings I wish I had but I didn't He told me some story about his friend and a girl that work on cars together and how they won't admit to liking each other. He said it in a way that made me smile. He was very easy to talk to. He spoke very animatedly too. His face would rise and fall, and he never took his warm eyes off hers once.

Before they knew the bell had wrung. So much for math homework. I laughed to myself. We kept up the talking and laughing all the way to my locker. Where he then asked, "What hour do you have lunch?". "Next?" I answered

"I'll save you a seat." He flashed a dazzling smile and walked around the corner of the hallway, disappearing into the crowd.

I couldn't stop myself from being giddy. But I can't let that happen and since he's my 1st only friend, I will not ruin that.

I walked to the cafeteria and got a tray. There was something that looked like a cross between meatloaf and lasagna, so I played it safe and got the peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple and a 1% milk carton. After I paid I searched the cafeteria for his face. I spotted him at a table sitting with a group of guys. All have short black hair, and laughing smiles. I was almost disappointed until I saw the empty seat next to him. Do I just walk up and sit by him with all of his friends? Rephrase: Guy Friends! Well, here goes.

I took a deep breath and walked toward the table. Embry saw me and waved me over. Their heads turned to me. I could feel the blood rise in my cheeks. I know sometimes blushing is cute, but I think it's darn embarrassing.

"Hey Morgan the tutor!" One of them said in a teasing way, I think more towards Embry then me.

"So this is the girl you wont shut up about?" Said one with cute dimples.

"I approve." One of them laughed.

Embry had his head bowed and was smiling from ear to ear. Who would've known he could blush too! Well, it was definitely possible.

Then it hit me, he was talking about me! Eeep! What does that mean? I quietly took the chair between Embry and the one with dimples.

Embry looked up and met my eyes. When he looked at me, I felt like he could see into my soul. Not in a cheesy, oh lala way, but in a genuinely sweet way. I love that his tan skin had a pink tinge.

"Hey," He said in almost a whisper. "I'm glad you didn't ditch."

"Why would I?" I smiled.

"Well, I've never seen you eat your lunch in here." He breathed. I realized we were leaning into each other. The other guys must have moved onto something else, because no one was even looking at us.

"School cafeteria is overrated." It came out way smoother than I had thought it would.

"What do you then?" He asked. Again with the genuine curiosity.

"I guess you'll have to find out sometime…" I hope there is a sometime.

He smiled, thinking about it. "Count me in."

Then we started talking about our schedules and turns out we're in a lot of the same classes. We've just never really seen each other. I kept finding my self-holding my breath or leaning way towards him with my chin on my hand and my elbow on the table.

He's just so passionate about whatever he does. He loves his family, a lot. He didn't mention any sports, but I was soon realizing the muscle under his think t-shirt.

Lunch ended way to fast. I wanted to keep talking. His friends were nice too. Quil is the guy with the nice dimples. Paul was the one that "approved of me". Jared now calls me "Genius". They were all cool.

Embry walked me to my locker. Then he said bye and walked off. Turns out I have last class with him. Art!
My day breezed by until 6th hour. I couldn't wait to be with him again. When I was walking to the art room, other end of the school, great, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I whirled around thinking I must have dropped something, but it was Embry. He smiled and we walked to class together.

I took a mental picture of his smile. He kept seeming excited to see me. Like it was a fantastic surprise that made his day, just by seeing my face. I like him a lot, does he like me a lot? Or is he just a very nice friend?

We got to choose seats so Embry and I shared a table with two other kids that didn't have much to say. That didn't matter. I didn't have to say much either. Embry kind of did the talking for both of us. Which was totally fine by me. I'm not a big talker. We chatted through class while sketching things that inspired us. Embry drew a wolf running/leaping over a stream. Or was it a normal sized river and a very big wolf? It looked super realistic. I was impressed.

Then he bell rang, (again too soon for my taste) and we both departed. When I was almost packed up he was there. Leaning against the locker next to mine.

"Can I give you a ride home?" He asked.

I nodded. "Cool." He said.

When we reached the parking lot he said, "Wait here!" Then he power-walked off into the lot.

Before I knew it, a black pickup came up to the curb by me and stopped. Then Embry hopped out, walked around to me, opened the passenger door, and gestured for me to get in. I fake curtsied and hopped up. No need for an umbrella when there's a perfectly toasty truck! I gigged to myself.

He went around to his side and got in. The heat was running cold air but I didn't mind. I felt like a child, because I just now realized I was sitting in the middle seat between the driver and passenger. Too late, once he was already in. He smoothly put his arm around me. He was so incredibly warm! Almost hot. How? I don't even know, but it felt really 'right'.

"Dang, you're cold!" He exclaimed.

What am I supposed to say? Gee, thanks! "Uhh-yeah sorry."

"Nah, don't apologize." He looked to me as we waited at a stop sign. "It's just nice to have my arm around you."

This should be awkward. I should feel like it's going too fast. I should be uncomfortable with this practical stranger. It really wasn't though! I wanted to feel his warmth. I knew about his family. He didn't feel like a stranger to me.

I gave directions and we finally pulled up to my tiny little brick house with white windows. I got out of the truck and was turning to say goodbye when his door shut. Was he going to walk me to the door? Fine by me. We got to my door and we stood really close. I had to look up at his face. His lips at my eye-level. Perfect, just what I want to look at when I'm not sure of our relationship status. Obviously, not an actually relationship. But friends don't give friends this much attention do they?

"I'm really glad to have met you." He said in almost a whisper.

"Me, too."

"Did you have a story to tell me?"

"Story?" I asked.

"About why you don't like it here…?" He led.

I looked around and saw to patio chairs. We were on my porch with a roof over it, and despite the pitter-patter of the rain, all was quiet. I sat down and gestured for him to do the same.

Where to start? "I'm really homesick. But I have no home to go back to." I said. That was exactly it! He looked toward the brick house confused.

"My home was the farm I grew up on." I said. "Well, more like acreage." He nodded. "My mom died when I was 7. That's when the farm stopped being my home. My dad tried to keep it together, but depression was getting the better of him. Instead of channeling his depression into drinking alcohol or doing drugs, he just advanced in his career as a botanist. I kept finding myself at the local shelter or with a relative I barely knew. Then dad got better and I could live with him again. But, I couldn't stay in that house anymore and it was practically worthless. Dad sold what he could and was offered different jobs. But he's afraid of change or being different. So moving across country wasn't even an option for a while. That is, until this current job was offered. Not refusable. I had to leave behind the few friends I had. I had to say goodbye to my hometown. Now, I stick out like-a-sore-thumb. It isn't fun. And before you, no one really reached out to me, and I didn't reach out to anyone. So I've been bottling up all this misery and acting all happy. Its not just being a "new girl" but I just feel out of place."

Embry nodded again. I could see that he was trying to soak that all in. "You have a lot of baggage." He finally noted. "But I think you're worth it."

I burst into tears. I haven't cried since I was 7 years old. It feels so good. Embry is the nicest anyone has been to me in a long time. He looks at me like I'm special. He grins at me like I'm important.

He took my hand in his warm one. "Hey, hey, hey." He comforted me. "I'm sorry. Wrong thing to say?" He sounded so sincere another wave of sobs came rolling in. Could I really have just met this boy today? I feel like I've known him forever. Like he's known me forever.

"No, just the right thing." I answered. My lip quivered. I cleared my throat, trying to straighten myself up, but he pulled me against him, into a hug. His heat melted me. It defrosted my pain. It wiped away my tears. It comforted my aching heart. I laid my cheek against his hot chest and felt his heart beat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. It was the sweetest sound I've ever heard.