This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Many thanks to ButterflyBetty and TheOnlyKyla for helping me realize I could and should start writing.

Thank you to Masenjar for prereading and EvilPumpkin for being an amazing beta.

All mistakes are mine.

I am not Stephanie Myers, I am writing for fun and not being paid. No copyright infringement is intended.

The timing of the move, during winter break, was fortunate for me as a student. I had just over a week to get myself settled and help Charlie. We had come to an agreement of sorts that we wouldn't mention my mother unless absolutely necessary. I was fine with that and it even helped me stay calm, which was always important for me. Rose was granted her wish; we were to be enrolled in a public school. If I was honest with myself, I was also excited to be off base for a good portion of the day. I don't like attention and when your father is a Gunnery Sergeant and one of the best in his field it is hard to go anywhere unnoticed.

On our third day in Jacksonville I managed to convince Charlie to let me go off base to a large bookstore in a local mall. Of course being the over protective father he was, I had to take Jasper or Rose with me. Considering my knack for injuring myself I didn't fight him on it. It did take some time to convince Jasper to join me; Rose invited herself so she could; as she put it, "See if the shopping is worth my time." I could instantly tell that I would hate the fifteen minute drive to my place of solace. The drivers were all so angry and in such a rush that Jasper had to help me control my breathing before something nearby exploded. We got into the mall without any issues and went about getting our bearings.

We had just located the bookstore when it happened. Rose was arranging to meet us in the café later since she had seen one of her favorite stores nearby. Before she could walk off, there was some guy, a typical mall rat who bumped into Jasper who accidently knocked me down. The mall rat didn't stop to check on us or anything and that was what set me off. Suddenly the lights started flickering and a wind was blowing. I saw red. I slowly stood up and as I raised my hand up to brush the hair off my face, the mall rat went flying face first into the bookcase he was looking at. I was mortified, because he could have been hurt and I could have damaged the books. Rose instantly started coaching my breathing while Jasper went to help pick up the books. After a few minutes things had returned to normal and I was able to actually enter the bookstore while Rose went off to feed her clothing addiction. While I was browsing the books I kept getting this feeling that I was being watched and kept looking around me. I was starting to freak out and was about to ask Jasper if he was ready to leave when I saw him. It was just out of the corner of my eye and when I turned around to get a better look he was gone. All I had been able to make out was red messy hair and a black shirt. With everything that had happened already I couldn't handle being watched.

"Spa-" I started but stopped to clear my throat when I realized how scratchy my voice was. "Spalding, are you ready to go? I want to get home and start making dinner soon."

"Sure thing just let me find out where Rose is. Are you ok? You sound a little out of it?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm just still shaken up from whatever that was earlier. Can we just not talk about it please?" I was very proud of how normal I sounded in my response but he just looked at me like he knew there was something else bothering me. Luckily, Rose arrived just then so he was forced to drop it. I got the feeling he would be bringing it up again soon.

Three nights later we were all hanging out at my house. School started the next day and we were trying to figure out what a real public school would be like. Jasper chose this moment to bring up the mall incident again.

"Wyrmie, why were you so jittery right before we left the mall the other day?"

"Wait, what? What the hell happened Bella? I thought you were fine when I left." Rose was not happy that we had somehow kept this from her.

"It was nothing really. I just kept getting this feeling that I was being watched. I honestly think it is just all those 'lessons' on constant vigilance Charlie has been giving me. He's turning his daughter into the paranoid daughter of a Marine." I honestly believed this was what happened, or had convinced myself of that by now.

"Why is Charlie putting you through this again?" Rose asked with genuine concern. The last time I was forced to go through these lessons she and I had been attacked.

"I think it has to do with the new move, Renee not coming, and wanting to help me stay on a more even keel emotionally. It isn't a bad thing; I just hope it doesn't affect school. We're already going to be given all sorts of hell for transferring in halfway through our junior year; I don't want to be the paranoid girl on her first day."

"Well either way, if you feel you are being watched you need to tell us. We can't help or protect each other if we don't know we need to." Jasper had always been serious about protecting us and it has just magnified since the attack last year. "Now, as Wyrmie here has already said we have a big day tomorrow so I say we get some sleep." After a couple of quick hugs and muttered goodnights they departed and I was left alone to get myself under control.