VISIONS

Knowing that life isn't infinite molds the way that human's make choices; all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure should be insignificant compared to leading the life they get to choose. But how do you fill the days when death isn't hanging over your shoulder as a constant encouragement to endure it while you can? What if you didn't have a choice?

I was completely caught up in my earlier vision of the ghost girl, when Jasper, having caught the tenor of my mood interrupted my thoughts.

"Why are you so nervous?" he asked calmly, with just a hint of his southern accent.

"Nervous? Is that how I am feeling?" I laughed lightly and continued to skip outside to the idling car. Jasper recognized that I didn't answer his question but was too much of a gentleman to push me into a confession. Truth be told I had no idea as to why I might feel nervous of all things considering we were once again on our way to High School – a task I had completed too many times to count. The only upside to our attendance at Forks High School, besides the guise it provided to mask our lack of humanity, was that we were yet to collect yellow graduation caps.

Charlotte was the last to run to the silver car, with an elegant leap that any gymnastic would be jealous of, she jumped into the backseat through the window like water being poured into a glass.

"Because opening the door was so incredibly hard?" grunted Rosalie as she flicked her blonde locks to the opposite shoulder from where Lotti sat. Charlotte simply smiled and turned to face the window as Emmett held up a piece of paper torn from his notebook, a large "9" scribbled across it.

"I deducted a point because you didn't flip before gliding through the window!" He bellowed. Lotti was once what you would have called a wallflower, happy to go unnoticed except in the stacks of a library, where the musty smells and quiet were her home. She struggled the most with the attention her immortality provided during the day but at home she indulged her ability to retain information, spending most nights learning new languages or mastering sciences not even discovered by man.

Rosalie and Lotti discussed the possibilities of vampirism on athletes as the short drive into Forks sped past us. Jasper gave me a few odd glances now and then as Emmett made plans for a wrestling re-match that evening between the two. I was glad to be driving so no one was wary of my lack of chipper involvement.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that" Lotti whispered into my ear, learning forward so close so the others wouldn't hear. She then pecked my cheek and leaned back before the others clued in.

I just can't shrug off a vision I had earlier today. It is something I haven't encountered before. It's like there's a block, I thought in response as I played my vision back for her. I knew she would have witnessed some of it this morning but my concern had her looking at it with fresh eyes. I quick flick of my eyes to the rear vision mirror and I could so the look of deep thought on Charlotte's face, one that told me no more information was necessary. Charlotte, the oldest among us, was the most like Carlisle, our father for all intents and purposes. She would be now be analysing every possible angle of the vision and determining its possible outcome. I could trust that she would quietly contemplate its significance until I told the rest of the family, always aware that her ability to read other people's thoughts meant she was privy to all kinds of information others would rather she wasn't.

I pulled into the car park and headed directly for the same space we always occupied. I think that people were afraid to park here as if there was some unspoken law not to interfere with anything to do with the mysterious Cullen family. Lotti stopped her exit of the Volvo and frowned as the thoughts of hundreds of students hit her at once.

"You could have mentioned the girl's arrival was today!" She said as she straightened up, punctuating the sentence with slamming the car door. Everyone else looked to me, waiting for an explanation.

"I didn't know. Like I told you, it's like the girl is blocked" I replied exacerbated, forgetting momentarily that I was as yet to inform the others of my vision.

"You didn't know something?" Emmett taunted gleefully at the same time Rosalie asked "What girl?"

"Forks High has a new student transferring today. I didn't see her coming and I can't see her now"

"That's why you were nervous earlier?" Jasper whispered as he sent a few calming waves my way. Eye contact was all he needed for both my confirmation and my thanks. We all stood by the car watching Charlotte as she shifted through the minds of those that had seen her and waited for her directions.

"Charlotte will just read the new girl and find out if she poses a threat to our existence here then we can act accordingly" said Rosalie firmly, both to assert her own authority and to clearly state to the others, without having said a word, what her viewpoint was on anyone posing any threat to our family. With that, we turned and walked in to the school, each of us a bit wearier than on any normal day. To the outside observer the whole encounter only took 7 seconds and was nothing more than us getting our bearings before glumly facing the next few hours of purgatory.