Xan definitely attracted stares. This wasn't an uncommon thing to her, or to any new student at Forks High.

In her vampiric life, not many vampires--except the old, who had seen the great massacre of vampire children--had seen a young-looking vampire.

In her new human life, not only was she a new student but also a young one. The air around her held that of knowledge. Even if there hadn't been one, which there was, because of Xan's old age, there would have seemed to be one because she was so young and yet so far in her schooling.

She was in the senior classes. She had refused anything lower because even the senior class, she thought, would be low. Edward was sour towards her demeanor but said nothing.

"So, where is she?" she asked at lunch, having sat through the most boring lessons in her life. Apparently, people thought the revolution was started by humans more so than vampires. Why do you think the taxes were so high? Vampires kept stealing all the money from the boats!

"Over there," pointed Alice, to a young brown-haired girl. Ordinary, nothing special.

Xan watched her get up to get something from the lunch line only to embarrass herself by falling flat on her face.

"Wow, how anticlimactic," Xan sighed. "I'd expected a body-builder, or a manga lover, or at least a geek. She's so ordinary!"

Edward's fists clenched. "Will you not talk so loud?" he hissed.

Xan frowned. "I thought I was being low. Besides, who cares what I say?"

"Everyone looking at you," Jasper murmured. "Which translates to everybody." Then he promptly shut his trap as to stop his breathing.

Xan looked around to see what he was talking about. This turned out to be a giant mistake on her part. She hadn't had a drink for about half a week, and with so many open necks...she'd been able to consciously block out the scents but suddenly her guard was down, and her predator senses up.

She swallowed hard, but this only turned out to strengthen the lust in her throat. She clenched her fists and closed her mouth fully, but it did little to help. She stopped her breathing, but nothing worked.

"Go outside," Emmett suggested. "Fresh air."

Xan nodded, and as fast she could, without seeming other-worldly, raced through the cafeteria, past all the stares and blood-reeking creatures and to the back door of it. She pushed it open and shut it quickly, not caring what they thought.

She took a deep breath, thinking that the outside air would be fresh.

It wasn't.

She coughed, looking over to see two delinquent kids, smoking what seemed to be expensive cigarettes. It nearly masked their strong scent.

But not quite. It wasn't raining, for once, and the wind was blowing their scent her way.

It seemed forever since she'd had a good drink. Like an addict, she remembered the good hits and longed for them once again. Once more couldn't hurt, right?

"Hey," she said in her most appealing voice, but not a sexy one. She knew well by now that no one wanted to be anything but friends with a thirteen-year-old.

"Hi," said the kids, frowning at her. They looked about sophomore-age, ones that did not rank high on their class list.

"I'm new here," Xan said childishly. "And I wanted to see the woods during lunch, because I'm not really that hungry." Just insane with thirst. "Could you show me?"

They snorted and chuckled. "Why the Hell should we do that, genius?"

"I'll do your homework for a week, if you like."

They liked this. With a smile, as if they were the ones fooling her instead of the other way around, paraded her away from the school and to the edge of the foggy woods.

Uninterested, Xan smiled to the boys. All thoughts of Carlisle, Esme, the Cullens and especially Edward were far from her mind. All that mattered was this kill, this kill that would save her from her unwavering thirst.

This didn't mean she didn't care for Carlisle. No, she cared a lot, and if she had been in her right mind, she wouldn't ever think of doing this. But she was new to this life and couldn't help it. So she decided to make, probably, the biggest mistake of her vampiric life, which could potentially cost her her friendship with Carlisle.

She wasn't in the mood for a game, as she had so often in the past with her victims. It had been too long since her last meal and she just wanted to get her fix now.

Without warning, there was a loud cracking sound as the two boys fell, cigarettes falling from their lifeless hands, necks jutting at unnatural angles.

The cigarettes would lessen the taste, Xan knew. But anything was better than nothing, now.

She drank.

--

Oh, no! Xan, why?!?!?