Mike had finally convinced me to sit with him at lunch. I usually kept to myself, even though I liked a lot of my classmates. Things were easier now that I had a schedule, but I still needed time away from people. But Mike insisted everyone was cool and I wasn't going to get invited to any Halloween parties if I didn't sit with people.

Mike had introduced me to his best friends before. There was Jessica, that Eric, and Angela.

Mike told them about what Edward said about me in the office. I looked around hoping that the Cullens wouldn't be around. There was no sign of them in the room, so I relaxed a little.

Jessica asked me what I did to him. I explained what happened in science. She rolled her eyes and said he was like that with everyone, had been for the last two years. He thought he was better than everyone else.

"Jessica asked him out already," Angela said. "First day of school."

Jessica slapped her arm. "Don't tell her that."

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't want people know…" Jessica began.

"No, why would you ask him out?" I said. "He's a creepy asshole."

Mike lifted his drink. "Cheers to that."

"He wasn't-I just thought he was cute," Jessica said.

I turned my attention to Eric, who was sitting almost perfectly still. "Trying to be a Cullen?" I asked.

Eric jerked his head around. "No. I'm just thinking."

Mike leaned over and whispered, "He is grounded. He asked out Angela and his mom found out."

"Oh?" I said.

"Eric isn't allowed to date until he's out of college." Mike lifted his eyebrows. "Don't say anything. But she's…" He made claws with his hands and growled.

Eric picked at his food until Angela took his hand and leaned against his shoulder. Secret school relationship, okay.

Noted.

We spent the next half hour talking about how we were gonna dress up for Spirit Day. Jessica offered to loan me a witch hat and I thanked her. I said I had some cat ears somewhere in my house if she wanted to use them, since she wanted to be Cat Woman for Halloween.

I felt, for the first time since coming to Forks, that maybe I did have a friend group after all.

When we left lunch, and headed towards science, I hoped Edward would stay away. Maybe, he really was sick? I hoped he was allergic to me, would save me the hassle of demanding I never sit next to him again.

I would have to call Amelia when she wasn't grounded and tell her what had happened. I hoped Mama Sandy didn't come down too hard on her. For having no parental supervision, I was usually the one keeping us out of trouble.

When I asked Mama Sandy what she was in trouble for, she had simply said Too angry to even talk about it.

So, Amelia had done a Big Stupid. Of course, she was missing out on key drama, but I guess she would have to wait for her freedom to find out.

Mike had stopped asking if I would give him a ride and started meeting me outside of my last class.

Today, though, he had Jessica with him and I didn't even blink. Apparently she was helping cover someone's sick day. Dad told me as long as everyone was on the way to the house, he didn't care about dropping them off. He was glad I was making some friends with normal people. Which, I thought was a little off putting... but he pointed out that I could be doing drugs in the woods with the Handley brothers, who he arrested every three days like clockwork and sent home with a stern warning...

Jessica and Mike sat in the back. She seemed annoyed that my Dad was listening to the Disney station. She made a gagging gesture with her hand to her mouth and I shrugged. Dad liked the station, for whatever reason, and we were doing her a favour.

By the time we dropped them off, the weather seemed to be clearing up.

Dad suggested I hang out in the store while he shopped. I started to realize he did this to give me time to be with my friends. Which was sweet.

Mike offered me a Cherry coke and my dad a Pepsi. He also gave me a half-eaten bag of trail mix, which he promised was brand new. I gave it to Jessica, who seemed in awe that her hands might touch food Mike touched.

Mike went to talk to his Dad in the back office, while Jessica put her bag away. She tilted her head like an owl, and asked me the stupidest question I have ever heard from her mouth. And she said a lot of dumb things.

"Not to be rude, but are you dating Mike?" Jessica asked.

I snickered. "Nope. Wouldn't want to either."

"Cause you guys are together a lot."

"I don't have any other friends in town," I said. "Mike is literally the only person who talks to me without pushing."

Jessica pursed her lips and turned away. "Well it is just..."

"You asked Edward Cullen out last month," I said. "So don't tell me about how it looks. If you like Mike, just ask him out. I don't want to date anyone in our class."

"I might."

"You should... ask him out," I said.

"And you aren't lying about...?" Jessica said.

"I don't want to date anyone," I said. "I don't know anyone well enough to have a crush. Mike's not bad looking, but he's also... incredibly annoying about sports and I HATE football."

Jessica seemed to relax. "Sorry. I just like him a lot and..."

"Then ask him out. I don't have any control over who he likes or who he wants to date," I said. "If he likes me, I didn't encourage it. I am not sitting around watching football to impress anyone."

Jessica narrowed her eyes and nodded. "Okay. I'm just saying you guys... And he doesn't try that with me. He always talks about you... and..."

"You need to ask him out then," I said, slowly this time. "I don't have the mental space to play guessing games. If I wanted to date him, I would have asked him out."

"I will keep that in mind," Jessica said.

"Please, do," I replied.

"He does talk about you a lot," Jessica said.

"Is it about things he knows you like?" I asked.

"Kind of," Jessica said. "He mentions you read a lot."

"Do you read a lot?" I asked.

"Actually, yeah," Jessica said.

"Then his plan worked," I said.

"What plan?" Jessica looked suspicious.

"I wanted more friends, I have been complaining about being bored for weeks," I said. "I think he was trying to get you to hang out with me more."

Mike came back a few minutes later with three Cherry Cokes and a bag of Cheesy Trail Mix. He handed it to me and said that was about the cost of the gas.

I told him I was heading out, as I had math homework. Dad had gone up to the till and gotten his cheap worms, like usual. Which made me question, for a second, if he was being nice or using Mike for the premium bait.

"Good luck," I said, waving to Jessica.

She turned red but waved back.

Dad made me hold the worms and I looked at them through the clear plastic jar. They looked unhappy.

But who gives a shit about worms?