I imagine that Zoe meeting everyone would go something like this.

(I don't own the Vampire Academy/Bloodlines series')

Somehow, I managed to get some sleep after the dream. Not enough to feel completely refreshed, but enough that I wasn't bleary eyed and dazed.

The same couldn't be said for Zoe.

It was obvious that she was nervous. Really nervous. Honestly, I couldn't blame her. I remember being that scared, looking over my shoulder and grasping for the right thing to say. I still do sometimes. It's instinct. But see my little sister so freaked made my heart ache, and we hadn't even left the dorm yet.

"Are you ready?" I asked Zoe. She had been twirling a lock of her brown hair around her finger for some time now.

"Huh? Oh yeah." She stood up a little straighter, and I looked her over. She was wearing a blue tank top with a dark denim jacket to match her black skinny jeans. I almost suggested she change into something more professional but then decided against it. If she was going to be surrounded by people she believed were evil, supernatural creatures, she should at least be comfortable.

"Hey, Sydney, I have a question." Zoe said, biting her lip. "Where are we staying over winter break?"
Amberwood didn't allow housing for students over vacations unless their families live out of state. But because our "brother" Adrian lived in Palm Springs, we couldn't stay in our dorms.

"We'll be staying with a Moroi, Clarence Donahue, until the dorms open again on the second." It was the twenty-third of December, meaning we'd have to stay there for nine days. I hadn't really minded originally. I couldn't get much safer than a house with three guardians. But looking at Zoe, I realized that living with Moroi and dhampirs during her first week was probably not what she had in mind. In fact, it would be a nightmare. Her next words confirmed as much.

"We'll be staying with them?" My sister's voice shook, and her eyes were terrified.

"Not if you don't want to," I said quickly. "We could get a hotel room. But we'd have to go there daily to make sure everything is okay..." I trailed off.

Zoe hesitated, then shook her head. "No, we can stay. A good Alchemist would." She looked at me and gave me a small smile. "You're really brave, Sydney."

I swallowed hard. "Well...I should introduce you to our 'family'"

I grabbed my bags and started to walk out of the room towards the stairs. Zoe followed close behind, and her words continued to ring in my ears. You're really brave...

Was I brave? I never questioned staying at Clarence's house, but not because it was my job. When I made the decision, it was just going to be me, Jill, Eddie and Angeline. It was before Neil, Jill's newest guardian, and Zoe came. It wasn't a hard choice at all, but I blatantly realized that it should have been. A good Alchemist, one that wasn't so cozy with vampires, wouldn't have even considered staying with so many of 'their kind'. They would have dropped off Jill and her bodyguards, gone straight to a hotel, and locked the door.

Zoe had only been here twelve hours and I felt like I'd already messed up.

Jill, Eddie, Angeline and Neil were waiting for us in the Central campus lobby with their bags in lobby was decorated for all sorts of religions and holidays, though the big fake Christmas tree in the middle was certainly the most obvious. "Hey, Sydney," Eddie said, smiling. He'd apparently taken my advice about Jill to heart and stood closer to her that usual. I wouldn't say he was happy, but he wasn't depressed either. His smile became confused when he saw Zoe. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Zoe. She's the new Alchemist who's going to be in Palm Springs with us," I said, and I snuck a glance at Zoe. She was looking down at the floor.

"So she's Keith's replacement?" Eddie asked. I stiffened at the thought of comparing my sister to someone like Keith.

"Something like that," I told him.

"Are you guys related?" Angeline asked, looking between the two of us. "You look alike." That much was true. Zoe and I had the same eyes and skin color. Unlike me, Zoe's long brown hair was easy to manage.

"Zoe is my sister." That caused a few eyebrows to raise. Jill didn't seem surprised, so I guessed Adrian had gotten in touch with her. "She's been enrolled here as our cousin."

Jill studied Zoe curiously. "How old are you?" she asked.

For a second I thought Zoe wouldn't answer. But after a few moments she quietly said, "Fifteen."

"Me too!" Jill seemed happy to have something in common. My sister, on the other hand, looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Maybe we could talk sometime! I know it must be weird going to a different school with people you don't know, but it's actually not that bad. At least you don't have to start school until after winter break. I mean, it's better than showing up in the middle of the week-"

"We should get going," I interrupted. Once Jill started going, it was hard for her to stop.
Jill bit her lip and nodded. Eddie and Neil picked up the bags and started walking towards Latte. It was almost funny to see the two of them carrying all of our bags. I wanted to say that I could carry my own, but I knew it wouldn't have mattered. I wondered if all guardians were like that.

"Oh, Sydney," Eddie called over his shoulder, "I still have your keys." He put down a bag and tossed the keys my way. I caught them with one hand.

"Thanks," I said and unlocked the car. I started to walk forward when Zoe grabbed my arm.

"Why did the dhampir have your keys?" she asked. She looked confused and nervous. And... was it just me, or was there a bit of suspicion in her eyes too?

Crap. "He had to run a few errands, and I didn't really want to go with him." The lie came easily but it took some effort to get the words out.

Zoe looked like she accepted this and continued walking. In my head I sighed with relief. I didn't like lying to Zoe, not at all. But what was I supposed to say? Oh, I gave Eddie the car because I was going to leave the Alchemists and go to Mexico with a bunch of rebels so I wouldn't have to face the fact that I'm in love with a vampire.

Right.