AN - Thanks for all the reviews. Updates every weekend.

Two

I was in the shower when my alarm began to ring, and had to hurry down the hall, hair dripping, towel wrapped around my waist, to turn it off.

Emmett poked his head out of the door of his own bedroom, his eyes bleary and narrow as he griped, "Dang, dude, what's got you up so early?"

I just shrugged as I dived through the doorway to my room and slapped my hand down on the clock on my desk.

"Are you up early enough for breakfast?" Esme hopefully called up the stairs. She had often tried to get all of us up on an early schedule in order to eat together, even if we just stood around the kitchen island wolfing down granola bars and yogurt. It was one of her many attempts to impose the routine the social workers had said we all needed.

"Sure!" I called back as I rubbed the towel over my head and dragged on a pair of jeans. I tugged on a shirt before hurrying down the stairs to find my adopted mom standing in front of the fridge, contemplating the contents.

"Eggs or fruit?"

"Why not both?" I asked, leaning against the granite counter top. Esme still wore her robe, her hair caught in a pony tail at her nape. She always looked super young to me in the mornings, before she was dressed and made up. It never failed to cross my mind that she could have held out for an infant, for a little baby free of issues and trauma, for a family life so much less complicated than what she'd gotten. I quickly pushed the thought away with a grimace, silently watching as she cracked a few eggs into a pan and began scrambling the yolks and whites with a spatula.

"Is Carlisle already at the hospital?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder to the empty living room.

"Yes," Esme nodded, "he's on call and got paged about an hour ago."

I frowned. "That sucks."

Esme shrugged. "He's used to it." Then she smiled, "You know he gets exposed to all kinds of different things here that he'd never have an opportunity to experience up in Seattle—where you aren't expected to be as much of a generalist."

I lifted my eyes to the ceiling as I realized what she was doing, "It's okay, Esme…Mom," I belatedly added. I knew she liked it when we called her that. "I know the minute we all graduate, you'll be heading back there."

"Back where?" Alice chirped as she pranced into the kitchen.

"Seattle," I replied.

"One more year!" Alice brightly replied, blue eyes practically sparkling. "Though I don't think I've minded Forks as much as Edward has."

Emmett strolled into the kitchen, swinging around the island to pick at the bowl of grapes Esme had pulled out of the fridge. "That's because Edward hates everything."

I simply sighed, refusing to rise to the bait.

"That's not true," Esme came to my defense as she started scooping scrambled eggs onto individual plates. "And you shouldn't talk that way about your brother."

Emmett elbowed my arm as he began shoveling eggs into his mouth. Though his mouth was still partly full, he replied, "He knows I love him—even if I give him a hard time."

I just lifted my eyes to the ceiling again. I suddenly didn't have much of an appetite and only managed a few bites of eggs before asking Emmett, "Do you want mine?" I'd barely finished the sentence before he was snagging my plate and swallowing the last few bites. He played football and easily outweighed me by fifty pounds, despite being the same height.

"You gotta ask?" he snorted as he finished the last bite.

"Ready to go?"

Alice quickly popped a few more grapes in her mouth before bouncing to Esme's side and planting a kiss on her cheek. "See you later, Mom!"

We grabbed our bags and piled through the door, climbing into my car to head to school. It was odd, how this day felt so much less weighted and crappy compared to the first day. I wasn't sure why, and didn't want to question it too closely…since I was sure the moment I did, something would happen to screw everything up.

By the time I hit the cafeteria at midday, though, the hours had slid by without anything going awry. I dropped into my seat with a tray of food, listening as Alice and Rosalie discussed going up to Port Angeles for a shopping trip that coming weekend.

Emmett was adamant that he wasn't going, shaking his head as he interjected, "I am not holding your purse while you spend six hours trying on jeans."

"No one asked you," Rosalie replied, a playful smile curving over her lips. "You don't think I've had enough of your company after spending all summer together?"

"You? Tired of me?" Emmett asked in such a dubious tone of voice that even I had to snort with laughter. I listened to their banter as I ate my sandwich, eyes cast to my tray. It was a given I wouldn't be asked to go on the shopping trip, but then, I'd been the odd one out within months of our moving to Forks so I was used to it.

It was funny to think that I'd been the one to befriend the Hales first—well, Jasper, anyways. We'd met at the pathetic local library, skulking through the shelves and vying for the same books. I probably never would have spoken to him but he was there nearly every day, the same as me, quietly reading or examining the spines on the shelves—though stacks were already piled in his arms. I'd spied a book in his hands that I knew I'd put on reserve and I'd rudely pointed it out without thinking about the words coming out of my mouth. Jasper had blithely offered it to me, totally unperturbed by my curtness. I'd impulsively invited him over, shocking my parents and siblings. It had taken me several bemused weeks to figure out why Alice kept hovering whenever Jasper was around—though the reality of what was going on didn't really sink in until I stumbled upon them kissing in the basement.

I shook my head at the memory and dropped my sandwich to the tray, my appetite disappearing with the recollection.

"You ready for English?" Jasper asked, a small smile crossing his lips.

"Sure," I shrugged, though a sudden suspicion crossed my mind, wondering if Alice had said something to him about the new student. I'd been a bit leery of my sister the night before, wondering if she was going to blurt out something speculative at dinner—but she'd restricted her chatter to her classes, how she hoped she wouldn't have as many pop quizzes in French as she'd had the prior year, and wondering whether she could get out of gym by taking tennis in the spring.

"Did you do last night's reading?" Alice asked as she hopped up from her seat and grabbed her tray.

"Yeah," I replied, brows low as I wondered at the question. Alice knew that even if I never participated in class discussions, I always did the reading. Even if I wasn't excited to read Jane Austen, the chapters were short and moved quickly enough that I'd sped through the assigned pages in no time.

"Just asking!" Alice held up her hands defensively.

I grimaced. "I'm not going to bite your head off."

"If you say so, Edward," Alice smiled, lifting a shoulder. She moved across the cafeteria and I followed with my own tray, which we emptied into cans near the door before stacking them on top. Jasper was right behind us, taking one last bite of apple before dumping his tray on the can. Alice linked her arm through his and I followed as they made their way out of the cafeteria. It had begun to empty out and Alice lifted Jasper's arm, twirling beneath it in a playful pirouette. I bit back a smile at my silly sister, and found the expression lingering on my lips as I slid into my desk in Miss Bloch's class.

I was annoyed to realize how quickly I noticed that the new student wasn't at her desk. My mind immediately shifted to wondering if she'd changed her schedule around—or maybe withdrawn from the school entirely after experiencing the horror show of Forks High…then I frowned as I realized where my thoughts had gone.

But she tripped into class as the bell rang, and I couldn't help noticing she'd replaced her messenger bag with a goofy tote as she slipped into the desk next to mine. Rainbow colored text arced over the front of the canvas bag: Phoenix Humane Society 10K Fun Run. A kitten frolicked beneath the words, ridiculously cartoonish with oversized blue eyes.

Was she a runner? Had she joined the track team? But a 10K was much longer than the distances people ran in track. Maybe she was into cross country? Or did she just like animals?

I shifted in my desk as I realized I'd barely heard the teacher's opening questions, annoyed with myself again at getting distracted. Miss Bloch was writing the names of the main characters on the board as students called them out. She circled the first name she'd written and turned to the class, pointing with an inky finger to the board, "Eric, what do you think of Mrs. Bennett?"

Eric, who'd been unfortunate enough to be the one to call out that particular name, shifted nervously in his seat. He was in my physics class before lunch, a smart kid who tended to tag after Mike Newton's crew.

"She's kind of dumb," he finally, haltingly answered.

"Dumb, Eric?" Miss Bloch tilted her head. "How so?"

I heard Eric fumble for the book behind me, finding the pages to reference. Miss Bloch smiled, satisfied by his response. She then turned to the second name on the board, circling it before she asked, "And what about Mr. Darcy? What do you think of his behavior?"

"It makes sense to me."

The words left my mouth before I'd made a conscious choice to speak them. But before I could glance over to my sister or Rosalie—who were likely gaping in shock given I never spoke in class unless it was absolutely required—a small, low voice muttered, "Yeah, if you're a total douche."

My head swivelled, eyes wide as I realized it was Bella Swan who had spoken. What the hell?

"Excuse me, Miss Swan?" Miss Bloch asked, her brows quirking.

The new student lifted her eyes from her desk and, though her gaze was steady as she met the teacher's stare, her cheeks grew undeniably pink as she spoke more clearly. "He's a snob," she clarified.

"He isn't," I instinctively argued, frowning. Was she talking about me? Because of what'd I'd said yesterday? A dozen questions flashed through my mind and I struggled to tamp down my frustration and confusion as I added, "He's only there as a favor to a friend. It's not his fault there are all these expectations—"

But Bella Swan had no interest in my argument, her brown eyes flashing to mine as she interrupted, "If being expected to speak to people is unreasonable, maybe he should have stayed home."

Somehow, the utterly reasonable nature of her statement only made me more frustrated. And I had never been one to back down. What was more, I wasn't entirely sure she was just talking about Mr. Darcy. It suddenly seemed likely she had overheard me yesterday…and I wondered what rumors the other students must have told her about me and my family.

"They only want to talk to him because he's something new, something distracting." I was aware of the undercurrent of restrained anger in my voice, my hands cold where they gripped the edge of my desk.

But it was as if I hadn't spoken at all. Bella had turned her attention back to Miss Bloch, her voice matter-of-fact as she went on, "Besides, he doesn't just ignore everyone. He actually insults people within ear shot."

We definitely weren't just talking about Mr. Darcy.

"If that doesn't make him a total douche," Bella went on, "I don't know what does."

Blood seemed to thud in my ears, pounding in time with the furious thump of my heart. I almost didn't hear Miss Bloch squeal with joy at this exchange, exclaiming how great it was to see students so engaged with the text. Instead, I stared down at my lap, lips a thin line, struggling to loosen my hands from where they gripped the edge of my desk, my knuckles bone white.

After the incident in Seattle, I knew that if I didn't learn how to control my temper, I was going to end up in jail—and it wasn't as if there were a lack of judges, school administrators, and mental health counselors assuring me of the same thing. Though I wasn't worried about doing anything in that moment—other than maybe making a fool of myself by storming out of the room before the bell had rung—I was all too familiar with that hot, shaking sensation. And I hated it, the storm of emotion, the feeling of…of helplessness and stress and wanting to be anywhere but where I was.

But it was my own fault. I'd spoken up in class—for what reason I had no idea—and drawn the sharp response of the girl I'd mocked the day before. What had I been thinking? I was as angry at myself as I was at the circumstances.

"Are you okay?" Alice's voice was a concerned whisper in my ear as the bell rang.

"Yeah," the word was sharp but I shrugged as I shot up from my desk and headed towards the door.

"Trust that the one time you talk in class," Rosalie laughed, "you get reamed by the new chick."

"It isn't funny, Rose," Alice tried to protest.

"She's got your number and she doesn't even know you," Rosalie pointed out as we all continued down the hall. Her eyes danced with amusement, her lips curling into a half-smile. "Nice nickname," she added, before peeling off to her last class of the day.

I glared at her back and gritted my teeth. Rosalie and I had never gotten along, not even in the beginning, before her and Emmett were a couple. I'd thought of her as Jasper's snotty sister then, and sometimes still couldn't quite believe they were related. Jasper was so mellow, so easy-going, so friendly, while Rosalie was the exact opposite. It was hard to comprehend that not only were they siblings, they were twins…even if only fraternal.

For once, Alice wasn't sticking up for me, admonishing Rosalie for giving me a hard time…or trying to comfort me by feebly patting my arm and telling me to ignore Jasper's mouthy sister. Instead, she was hiding a smile behind her hand, her blue eyes sparkling as she avoided my gaze.

"Whatever, Alice," I nearly growled, yanking my bag higher up my shoulder before striding down the hall. I should have known a good day couldn't last.