I am a sheet of paper

Give me some colored pens

I don't mind if you go over the edges

Did you know that we all just love to play pretend

Dodie Clark - Tell Me A Story

"And they didn't talk, like, at all."

"Who didn't talk?" AJ interrupted Jessica and Angie's conversation while she set her lunch tray down onto the table.

"The new kids. The Cullens. Monica told Brittany that when Hillary tried to talk to the blonde girl and the big guy, who, by the way, is Rosalie and Emmett, that they just blew her off and didn't say anything to her. Rosalie just glared at her. And they haven't talked to anyone else yet."

AJ shrugged and shoved a grape into her mouth, "They just moved down here from Alaska. They're probably still dethawing. Or maybe they only speak polar bear."

"How did you find that out?"

"Jasper told me. I mean, I don't know about the rest of the family, but he seems to hold a conversation just fine."

"Maybe you're special, because everyone is saying that he is the quietest and weirdest out of all of them."

"Jess, don't be mean. They're new. Remember Mike's first day? He wet his pants in front of the whole class."

"Hey," Mike griped while falling into his chair beside her, "That was in fourth grade."

"Exactly. Fourth grade. Who isn't properly potty trained by the fourth grade?"

"Mike, apparently," the table burst into laughter as Mike's face reddened. AJ ruffled his hair to irritate him more and he shoved her out of her chair.

"That hurt! Tile isn't exactly soft, Mikey!"

"Maybe you should learn to be more graceful."

AJ playfully glared at him, "That's it," She sprung up from the floor and grabbed his chair, successfully yanking it out from under him since he had been sitting on his foot.

"AJ-"

"Maybe you should learn to be more graceful," She took her rightful seat back and continued to eat as if nothing happened.

Across the cafeteria, the Cullens were gathered at their table and had watched all of the commotion. Emmett, Alice, and Edward were all surprisingly baffled at the girl and Jasper's fascination with her. Rosalie was simply content that he had a chance to be happy for once.

"Her emotions are like a magnet."

They all turned to look at Jasper, "What do you mean, Jas?" Rose's perfect eyebrows furrowed as she questioned his pseudo twin.

"She's pulling negative emotions from those around her and making them disappear. The second something negative takes over and becomes a main emotion, she basically just absorbs it. She was doing it to me earlier in the hall. I was feeling uncomfortable from the bloodlust and it just faded. I didn't realize what was happening, but now that I've sat here and watched it happen, I get it."

"It must be weird for the empath to get his emotions toyed with."

Edward interrupted Emmett, "I don't think she knows she's doing it. Does she even feel negative emotions?"

"Yeah, she got irritated when a teacher moved her earlier then she got embarrassed right after. Her emotions are normal, she just draws negative out of others."

They all cringed as the bell hurt their over sensitive ears, "You might want to mention it to Carlisle." Jasper nodded at Edward's suggestion and all of the siblings left to their next class. He caught her scent before she bounded up to walk next to him.

"So," AJ started, "I hope your first day of school is going well."

He nodded, "About as well as a first day can go." She grinned when he willingly talked with her. After her conversation with Jessica, she was worried she had forced him into a conversation earlier.

"Good! Lucky for you, history and Spanish are relatively easy here. The teachers all but refuse to let students fail. And in Spanish, if everyone finishes their work, Miss Estrada let's us leave early. Which isn't that big of a deal since the class is small. There's only like ten of us in there and now I'm rambling. Sorry about that."

He shrugged, "I don't mind. Alice is the same way. I'm more of a listener, anyway."

"Well, don't feel like you have to talk to me. My best friend, Jessica, is just a chatterbox. I guess you can say she's rubbed off on me after so many years." AJ almost bumped into two other girls as she led Jasper into history.

"Watch were you're going, Aubree!"

She waved apologetically, "Sorry, guys." She rushed past them and sat in her seat in the back of the room. Jasper tried to ease her emotions back into peacefulness while he moved to sit next to her. She smiled over at him and if he had a heartbeat, he's sure she would have stopped it.

"I swear, she's so weird now. Remember when she used to be more like Angela?"

One of the girls a few rows up giggled, "Girl, yes. Now she's just like Jessica. She's been that way ever since her mom died." Jasper didn't know who the two girls were talking about, but he got a pretty good idea when AJ froze. Sorrow, guilt, and dismay seemed to fill every inch of her body when she overheard the girls' conversation. She forced herself to breathe again, but it was much more shaky than before. Her emotions quickly sorted themselves out and she returned most of her attention to the teacher.

When the bell rang, AJ was much more quiet than usual. She packed her things away and marched to the front of the room, stomping on one of the girls' toes along the way. She waited for Jasper right outside the doorway and was thankful when he caught up to her quickly.

"So, I, uh, I heard what those girls said. Were they talking about you?"

She nodded, "Yep. My mom died when I was twelve. A logging truck lost control between here and La Push. She couldn't get out of the way in time. Wrong place, wrong time."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks. It's not something I really tell people, but it's such a small town everyone knew within the hour."

"That's gotta be tough."

"It was," she slowed down and dodged out of the way when a boy went running by her, "Everyone in the town loved her. It's easier now. It's been almost five years, I've learned to live with it for the most part."

"You're seventeen?"

She shook her head, "Sixteen. I'll be seventeen in April. I started school a year late and I got held back once in kindergarten because I had a speech impediment. They thought I had learning disabilities."

"Hola, chica bonita!"

AJ smiled at her favorite teacher, "Hola, Señora Estrada. Este es mi nuevo amigo, Jasper."

"Hola, Jasper. There's an empty desk next to Aubree, you can sit there until you get caught up." The enlivened teacher bustled over to the door to greet other student and AJ led Jasper over to seat then gestured to the desk beside her.

"You know Spanish pretty well."

She shrugged, "This is one of my favorite classes because she makes it fun. That and she gives out candy if you have the right answer and I have the worlds largest sweet tooth. Oh, hey, is that your sister?" She subtly pointed over at Rosalie who looked slightly taken aback by the hyper teacher. The blonde turned and faced them, smiling lightly at the sight of a family member. Maybe if I sit in her presence for a little bit, I can be half as pretty as she is.

"That would be her," Rosalie practically floated over to the two of them, "Rose, this is Aubree."

"Oh, the girl you wouldn't shut up about at lunch?" AJ found herself giggling along with Rosalie while Jasper glared at his twin, "Nice to meet you, Aubree."

"Feel free to call me AJ. I can tell we're probably going to be great friends."

Rose smiled, "Then you can call me Rose."