"I read the news today, oh boy,
About a lucky man who made the grade,
And though the news was rather sad,
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph..."
-A Day in the Life (By the Beatles)

As we walked into the cafeteria hand in hand, I tried my best to remember the plan.

Edward and I had been up all night perfecting our plan. I had the feeling Edward was humouring me, but I didn't care as long as I got my answers.

I caught sight of Christian as he walked in through the doors, walking beside Hero. She looked 100% better than she had last night, her short blond hair curling to just above her shoulders, and her flat brown eyes shimmering. Her thin frame was clothed in black sweatpants and a green long-sleeved top.

She was talking to Christian as they joined the lunch queue. As I was about to get in behind them and make my move to speak, I was elbowed out of the way by Lauren.

"Hi Christian!" she said perkily. "How are you liking Forks?"

I saw him and Hero exchange a glance before he turned to Lauren again.

"It's nice…uh," he stopped to try to remember Lauren's name. "I don't think we've been introduced?" I stifled a giggle as she frowned.

"It's Lauren Mallory," she said, annoyed that he hadn't known her name. "We have Biology and English together."

"Oh, hi Lauren. Forks is very nice, thank you." he turned back to the line and started picking out things to eat, followed by his sister.

"Can I sit with you at lunch today?" Lauren said to his back, cringing as the words came out. She obviously wanted him to ask her to sit together.

Christian let Hero go ahead of him in the queue as he turned to look at Lauren with a sympathetic look.

"I'd love to, Lauren, but-" he glanced over her shoulder at me "-I already promised Bella that I'd sit with her, and the table is already pretty full…"

Lauren turned slowly towards me, glaring viciously. I looked at Christians desperate face, and he mouthed 'please'. I sighed.

"It's true, Lauren, he promised me…" I muttered, blushing heavily. Lauren glared for a moment longer and walked away, muttering something like 'bitch gets all the good ones…'

"Thanks for that, Bella," Christian smiled, showing rows of perfect teeth. "You don't have to sit with me, if you don't want to…" I realised that this was what I needed. Now I wouldn't have to ask him and risk humiliation, I could just go sit with him and flush the secrets from the inside. This was too easy.

"No, Christian, I'd love to," I smiled.

"And your boyfriend?" he asked, eyebrows raised. I looked up at his face, over a foot above my own. He was smiling hugely.

"He'll manage…" I smiled back, playing along. "Besides, it's for the greater good."

I grabbed an apple and followed Christian to his table, where Hero was already seated, along with Andrew and Sebastian. But no Gala.

"Where's Gala?" I asked without thinking. They all looked at each other for a moment, as sharing a silent secret.

"She's sick," said Hero in her low, quiet voice.

"Yeah," Andrew agreed, "It's her time of month,"

Hero laughed, but Sebastian elbowed him in the ribs. He then looked up at me with his milky eyes.

"He's only joking, Andrew is seriously un-funny," Sebastian laughed.

"I think you're funny, Andy," Hero said, smiling slightly. Christian rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, baby doll," Andrew said, high-fiving her dainty hand with his own large one. She flushed a light pink.

"Okay, just get a motel room, you two," Christian rolled his eyes, pulling out a chair for me to sit on. "Bella bravely volunteered to sit with the dogs to save me from that awful orange girl Lauren, so be nice to her," he eyed the boys, "or else next time we wont have the nice lady here, we'll have the human tangerine!"

"Okay, bro, no Bella-jokes, we get it," Sebastian said, rolling his translucent greeny-white eyes. "So, Bella, tell us about yourself. You kept quiet at dinner last night,"

I had to think fast to avoid that question, I was supposed to be finding out about them not the other way around. Edward was sitting at the next table, listening in to their minds. I really didn't want to disappoint.

"I'm pretty boring, but I'd like to know about you Sebastian," I said, looking at him in the eyes. They looked almost blind in their lightness… I had seen them somewhere before.

Then it came to me. Gala had the same pale green look about her eyes. How had I missed that before?

I looked around the table. Andrew was looking at me, but his dark eyes weren't flat black like they were the first day. They had a single white (or green?) streak in them, hair-like in thinness. And Christian had baby blue, freckled with the same light green. What did it all mean?

"Well," he said nonchalantly, "I'm Sebastian, originally from Chile, I'm 18, I like the great outdoors, women and alcohol. Now its your turn, honey." I thought for a moment. I had to ask something to bring up the memory of Hera Waters, and I had to do it subtly.

"Em, no, I want to hear about… Andrew first." I said. Maybe he would give some valuable insight.

"Okay, Bella, whatever," he said, looking at me speculatively. "I'm Andrew, I'm 18 and from Montana, I like guitars and alcohol." I was slightly disappointed, I had learned nothing from the boys except that they were alcoholics. My last shot was Hero. She responded without me even having to ask her.

"My name is Hero, I don't know where I'm from, I'm 17 and I like reading, parties and hanging out with my family."

"Okay, it's only fair that I go now as well, then. My name is Bella, I'm 18, and I like reading, hanging out with my boyfriend, and looking through some of my dads old unsolved case files. There's something about an unsolved murder that really gets my brain going." That got the reaction that I wanted.

Andrew choked on the water he was drinking, spluttering and coughing, Sebastian froze and stared at me, Hero paled and looked down at her food, and Christian simply said "What?"

"I like to read the cold cases," I said in a small voice. "You know, the ones from long ago," The atmosphere relaxed.

"You're a freak, Bella," Andrew said, taking a bite out of the huge sandwich on his plate. "Even worse than Hero, and she lives in a planet far, far away."

"Hey Star Wars is cool, you jerk, shut the hell up!" she retaliated and poked him.

"Can I please talk to Bella for a moment?" a smooth voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Edward's worried face.

"Sure, take her," Andrew said chewing his food. "She's weird."

Edward glared as he took my hand in his as we walked towards the door. As soon as we outside Edward turned around to me.

"You were right. I don't know how I missed what the are… the slow beating hearts, the animalistic scent, the slowly changing eyes, the fact that Hero wasn't in any of Alice's visions until yesterday, and now Gala's missing from them… Bella I'm so sorry that I ever doubted you."

"Edward what's wrong? Are they murderers?"

"Yes, but they're something worse as well… Bella, you have to stay away from the Batons."

"Edward what are they?!" I cried. He looked at me with terror. He pulled me close, and whispered in my ear:

"Dangerous."