When I opened my eyes again, it was morning. Light streamed though my windows. I felt surprisingly calm and refreshed. I glanced at the clock. It was already almost eleven in the afternoon. I pulled myself out of bed, surprised I had been able to sleep so long. I changed quickly, and then jumped down the stairs.

Charlie had left for work several hours ago. I found I was starving, having skipped breakfast this morning. I searched through the fridge, but found we had nothing I really wanted to eat.

I felt restless and full of energy. I wanted to go somewhere, do something. I racked my brain for places that served breakfast in town. We almost never ate out anywhere, so I decided to treat myself to brunch. I remembered a little diner on the outskirts of town. It looked like a quaint, easy place to eat, and it wasn't very far. I skipped outside to my truck, suddenly determined to follow my little whim.

The truck roared to life, shattering the cheery calm of my neighborhood. I grinned and patted the steering wheel. My mood today was inexplicably happy.

I pulled into the parking lot of the diner, admiring the neatly polished windows and white printed lettering of the storefront. As I walked in, I was greeted with the aroma of syrupy pancakes and orange juice. It was just as I had expected, a cheery, homey, kind of place.

I sat on the spinning chairs at the bar and scanned the menu. I avoided the pancakes because I knew nothing could compare to Edward's cooking and I didn't want to ruin the atmosphere of the place. "I'll have an omelet and some orange juice." I told the lady behind the counter. She smiled in a maternal sort of way and nodded, "Coming right up."

As I waited, I examined the faces of the other people in the diner. Most I recognized, as the parents of siblings of people who went to my school. One of the faces I recognized for a very different reason.

"Emmeline!" I gasped. She turned quickly from her spot two people down from me. She looked confused for a moment then smiled. "Oh, you're the girl from the Thriftway."

She hopped lightly from her stool and came to sit at the unoccupied one next to me. "How are you?" she asked, her curls swinging as she spun on the chair.

"Pretty good." I replied, still surprised to see her there, "What brings you here?"

She smiled, "To the diner? Or to Forks?"

"Both," I replied, unable to quench my curiosity.

"Well," she fiddled with one of her curls, "I'm in Forks visiting family. You actually might know my cousin." She paused, "I think she's in your grade. Her name's Angela."

"Oh!" I grinned, "Of course I know Angela! She's one of my friends from school."

"Really?" Emmeline mused, "Small world."

"Yeah," I responded, "Weird, huh?"

Emmeline bounced on her chair, "Not really. Everyone knows everyone in Forks."

I laughed, "You have no idea."

She looked at me sideways, "You aren't from around here, are you?"

I nodded, "What gave me away?"

"I dunno." Emmeline looked thoughtful, "You just don't strike me as someone who grew up in Forks."

"I only moved here a little over a year ago." I replied, "I've lived in Phoenix most of my life."

"Where are you from?" I asked, still wildly curious about the girl whose grandmother disturbed Edward so much.

"Durango." She grinned, "It's a tiny town in Colorado, not so different from Forks, actually."

"Huh." I replied. "How old are you?"

It was a stupid question, but I still felt desperate for information.

To my surprise, Emmeline blushed, "I'm almost sixteen, actually." She smiled sheepishly, "Everyone always seems to think I'm twelve or something."

I blinked in surprise, she did look young for her age, still, for her benefit I added, "I didn't think you were twelve."

She flicked her hair away from her face, "Well, thank you, but it's okay. It just really peeves me when waiters insist on giving me the children's menu." She made a face, "Even if I tell them how old I am."

I laughed. I was really starting to like Emmeline.

"How's your grandma?" I asked on impulse. It seemed like the polite thing to say.

Emmeline's face flashed with worry for a second, "She's fine. She has a cough, but she says it's nothing. She won't even let me try to help her. If I do, she just waves me away and says 'No need to worry about me, I've been healthy for almost a century and I'm not about to stop now.'"

Emmeline's impression of her grandmother was so perfect, I had to resist looking around for the source of her grandmother's voice.

She sighed, "That old woman is so stubborn sometimes."

At that, the lady behind the counter placed a large plate of food in front of me. Emmeline waved as I picked up my fork. "I'll leave you to eat your breakfast." She smiled. "See you later!"

"Nice talking to you!" I shouted as she pulled open the glass door. She waved again and the bells on the door tinkled as it swung shut behind her.

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More soon!