The weather in Forks seemed to be the only thing that customers commented on.

I shook out my umbrella and closed it, stowing it behind the bike racks adjacent to the big glass doors of the Mini-Mart. My uniform was dotted with specks of water, but other than that, I had escaped the torrential downpour relatively unscathed. I straightened my name badge, which had QUINN in cursive script, and hurried inside the dimly lit store. Even as I walked, I heard an elderly gentleman near the deli comment to his companion, "Would you look at that rain, Leon?"

My friends had begged me not to leave Australia, but they didn't understand that it wasn't my choice. Moving to Forks, Washington, had been my father's idea, and Quinn Hadley and her mother Beth had no choice but to go along with it. I had begged, screamed, pleaded and implored with her, but Mother had just turned to me with her sad eyes and said, "Honey, you're so beautiful and young and friendly. You'll make new friends in no time." The way she said it made me sad. I realised then how I'd never thought about the move affecting her.

I passed Tyler Crowley, who was manning one of the registers. He waved his hand enthusiastically and started forward, and I nodded my head in response. Tyler was good-looking, but definitely not my type. I'd only been in the country for three weeks, and he'd already left several messages on my answering machine and even drove by our house a couple of times. I couldn't complain about his attention: after all, he'd gotten me a job at the Mini-Mart. I'd done okay dodging him by negotiating the majority of my shifts around his, but when school started back tomorrow, there would be only so many places I could hide.

"Quinn!" a voice called. I turned, and saw Pia Marshall, the owner of the store. I hurried towards her, eager to avoid conversation with Tyler. "You start school tomorrow, right?' she asked, jotting something down on paper. "I just need to get started on the new rosters, and half the staff are gone during the week now."

"Half?" I laughed. "Pia, there's only six of us working here."

"Exactly!" Pia moaned. "You, Tyler and Jessica start back at school tomorrow, and I've only got Jason and Bea left to do five days straight."

I shrugged my slim shoulders, and adjusted the collar of my work shirt. "You might need to hire someone else then, I guess."

Pia glowered. "I just hired you! I can't afford anyone else!" she sighed, and made another note in the margin of her roster. "Get started on stock, could you? Jess and Tyler will be fine to handle the customers for a while."

I nodded dutifully and trotted off. I headed to the cigarette counter, which Jessica was filling, and tossed my handbag inside the cupboard. "Hi, Jess," I said, waiting for the torrent of conversation to come streaming back.

"Quinn! Can you believe holidays are already over? Back to school again! Well, not so much for you. This is going to be great, I just love knowing who the new person is before everyone else, don't you? Don't stress, you can just stick with me the entire day. My little group of friends are the crème de la crème of Forks High." Jessica finally took a breath, and I stole my chance at departing.

"Thanks, Jess. That sounds great," I answered, but truth be told, I had no intention of sticking with Jessica if her little group included Tyler. "I'll come back and see you in a bit, okay? I'm just finishing stock."

I headed for the canned goods section, and started to tidy the cans of peas and diced tomatoes into neat stacks. They were near the top shelf, and my five foot three frame was hardly basketball-player material. Standing on my tip-toes, I shoved the last couple of cans onto the shelf haphazardly, and as I'd expected, in an unbalanced tower. The top can teetered before practically leaping off the shelf and aiming straight for my forehead. I shut my eyes and instinctively stepped back, waiting for the sound of the can imploding on the tiled floor, but it never came. Opening them, I jumped in shock when I saw a pair of gold eyes peering curiously at me.

Embarrassed, I pulled down my shirt, which had ridden up to expose a strip of tanned stomach. "Thanks," I said softly, reaching for the can. He silently moved forward and easily reached up to the top shelf, balancing the can neatly with the rest of the stack. "Thanks," I repeated.

"You're welcome," he said, his voice low and throaty. His eyes never left mine. For a moment, it felt as though we were the only two people in the world. The background noises faded, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of my rapidly beating heart, drumming desperately against my rib cage. My eyes drank him in, his lean, muscular body, chiselled and strong. His bronze coloured hair, which was artfully messy, as though he had swept in on broomstick and the wind had merely ruffled his hair. His expression, which was impassive and looked as though it was made from stone. The only thing that betrayed his emotions seemed to be his eyes, which were still locked with mine. Watching.

"I'm Quinn Hadley," I heard myself say. "I'm sorry about the can."

You idiot! I fumed at myself. Stop talking about the stupid can!

He leant forward, directing his rosy lips to my ear. I breathed in suddenly at his close proximity and closed my eyes. He smelt of leather and mint. "I'm Edward," he said, his cold breath tickling my ear and neck. "And I'm not."

When I opened them a second later, he'd already disappeared.