AN: This story will probably feel both rushed and not to some, and I apologize for this. Chapters will also not be posted so closely together as I did with the first two, as I did this only for people to get a little better of a feel for the two non-Twilight characters I created.


I continued staring at the family across the parking lot for another moment before glancing back at Alex, who was staring at the family as well and mouthing something unknown to me.

"What're you gossiping about behind my back with your new best friends?" The moment I began walking, he stepped in time with me.

"New best friends? Hell no!" He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and held me closer to his body while we walked. "No one will ever see you naked more than I have!"

A passing girl squeaked and walked faster, causing Alex to laugh. I rolled my eyes at his stupid comment, my mouth tugging up slightly. There's no one better at trying to get me to laugh. "That sure as hell is probably true. Pretty sure you've seen me naked more than amorous lovers."

The bag resting on Alex's left shoulder fell to hang around the wrist since he had his hand in his pocket while his other hand moved down my back to rest in my back pocket. "My mate though. Boy is she a looker. Blondie is definitely a hot one, but my little pixie's got her beat. She just radiates personality. That and I can-"

"Finish that sentence and we'll truly see what can grow back," I mumbled while elbowing my idiot of a friend. "I didn't think we'd be in Twilight though."

"No? You even suggested here."

"On a mere whim you know." I huffed slightly in annoyance. "I didn't actually think anything of it." I watched a young girl with brown hair pass by, glancing down at the parking lot every few seconds. While I want to assume who she may be, I don't honestly know for sure. Today's our first day at Forks High School so I've not been introduced to anyone yet.

"So what're you gonna do then?"

My right shoulder was lifted in a lazy shrug. There had been no plans on what to do if I actually ended up being in Twilight. Sure there were vampires here, but I never actually believed that I was in any particular series. "Not sure. She's your mate. I'm not gonna pull you two apart or anything, but I honestly thought she'd be human when you met your mate."

"I'm not gonna leave you." His eyes turned toward me, narrowing slightly in what's probably anger and annoyance. "I don't care if she's my mate. I'm not gonna just up and drop you like a sack of potatoes."

"Yeah I know."

Groaning, Alex moved us out of the way of passing students who watched us as they passed. "I'm not gonna leave you Elizabeth. You're my best friend." With his low voice and close face, I can only assume what the students will be talking about the moment they were away from us.

I hummed before moving out of his grip. "I know. I simply have things I need to think over." Like how not to mess up anyone's happy ending.

"You're not leaving," he finally told me when he caught up and could continue our whispered conversation.

"No. I do have to think things over though." It was silent a moment. "And eventually you'll have to change your diet. It won't have to be immediate, but knowing who she is..."

"Yeah, you mentioned about the yellow eyes. We'll try your blood pudding and sausages first to see how it goes." He's been putting it off long enough, not wanting to change diets unless he really had to.

"If it doesn't work, we need iron pills." I continued up the stairs, wondering who decided such a design when the school always had a bit of a drizzle around it. Surely overhangs could've been added onto the design. "And chocolate."

"Lots of chocolate I think."

"Agreed. Now let's find the front office." We-after questioning two students-managed to find the front office and get prepared for our first day in a new school.

We started up a new conversation once we left the office, having seen the woman at the front desk. "What is it people say with red hair?" By we I meant that Alex asked a question and that always starts a conversation.

"Red hair and green eyes means the woman's a witch." Both Alex and I were to get our sheets signed by each teacher and return the sheet back to the office at the end of the day. It made no sense to me and when I mentioned so between first and second period, Alex laughed.

"To be sure people don't skip I suppose."

Our mundane conversations continued through classes when we were seated near one another. I had to stop one conversation since Alex was asking me to explain exactly why people liked eating sausages and why people felt the need to name certain appendages after such a food. I wasn't having that conversation with him. That's Alice's problem now.

"I can pick a table near them?" Alex asked as we stepped into the cafeteria.

I nodded and gestured with my head toward a table. "Sit there. Looks like everyone gives a wide berth to them so we'll just steal a table for ourselves." Alex moved my seat out for me before sitting in the chair to my left. We kept both our backs to the glass windows and his arm over my shoulder while I ate to allow him to be farthest away from any other humans and inhale my scent if things became too much. He didn't mess up in the time I've been around him, but we always wanted to be prepared.

My lunch was pasta Alex made while I slept. He did so because he did occasionally get bored of watching me sleep. Apparently I don't move much or talk in my sleep so he has to find something to occupy his time. Cooking fed me who feeds him. According to him it all works out.

Chuckling made me look up at Alex, who's eyes immediately found mine then looked at something on my other side. Without bothering to look I already knew that the Cullens had finally arrived in the cafeteria. He wouldn't really bother that much watching any other humans. Listening was fair game but watching was boring. I was told that every time he looks at someone, he either gets the flirting looks or the glares. There was very seldom anything in between that.

"What's so funny?"

"People assuming you're wearing contacts for your eyes to be two different colors again." His free hand came up and poked the skin beside my eye.

"While uncommon it's perfectly normal for a person to have two differently colored eyes. Thankfully I have brown hair, otherwise I'd have to wear contacts to have my eyes either blue or green. Blue would look best with blonde and green with auburn." I took a bite from my meal and glanced back up at my best friend. No words I could hear passed through his moving mouth. "Busy gossiping while I can't hear again?"

"I'd never." He held his hand over his unbeating heart, taking on an affronted look. It's almost like I've never doubted him before or something.

"Go visit them after school. Get to know one another."

After grabbing another forkful of my food, Alex stole the fork from my hand. "I'm not going to them without you."

"I could be lunch."

"Well you'd be the most attractive meal they've eaten in some time."

Snorting from the nearby table reached my human ears causing me to glance over my shoulder at the group that sat there. "Tell me he's wrong though. I've gotta be more attractive than what you've eaten."

"Oh definitely," Alex's little mate agreed with a smile.

When I faced forward again, the fork was shoved into my mouth. I glared at Alex who just laughed at me. "Hey, she told me I could do it without ruining your pretty little dress."

"I wanna spit it on you so bad," I mumbled through my mouthful before taking the fork and trying to salvage the dignity I don't care much about. Alex busied himself with a napkin wiping the food he got onto my chin.

"Now now, don't be so cruel with polite company around."

"They're messier eaters than me. They'll get over themselves." My eyes glanced up at my best friend's before I reached down and dug through my bag. "I'm moving your contacts up top." At his hum I continued on. "After lunch make a quick run into the boy's room and freshen up."

"Only for you doll."

"Don't pee on the floor please."

"Oh but I do so enjoy trying to spell out my name."

"Your penmanship sucks. Don't try it with body fluids." Alex snorted at that and wisely kept his mouth shut at my look. "I really wish I would've decided on a purse instead. At least I could've had that as ammo."

"You know, I'm kinda curious if you can spell your name."

"I can't." I stared at Alex. An innocent look met me, almost as though he was confused as to why I couldn't do so. "You've seen me in the shower enough times to know I don't have the capabilities of that."

"It could be considered a talent in some countries."

"So could speaking; congrats you're talented to some people."

"And after all the work I put into making your hair look nice." He faked a hurt look and received a gentle smack on the chest in response. "Seriously though, you wanna go today after school? They're okay with it. I also promise to get you back home before dark." His eyes lost their playful touch. "I promise you that at least."

"Well if you're gonna be like that, then sure. I don't really mind as long as you can be happy anyway. If it truly comes down to it, I'm sure there's some medicine I can find." If nothing else, being in a house of vampires would have everyone strong enough to knock me out. Some might even be able to do so without killing me, which would be nice.

Alex didn't speak immediately since his eyes were looking above my head at whoever was speaking lowly. "They'll have a backup plan for you, but I don't have plans on being late. She can join us at our home if it truly comes down to wanting to be with her longer."

A huff left me at that. "You don't have to worry about me-"

"Well I do and you'll deal with it. Till death do us part my dear."

"You're already dead. I'm getting out of this deal with no problems it seems."

"Not at all." Humor glinted in Alex's eyes while I debated on trying to see if I could choke to death on pasta. "We'll watch Aladdin as compensation."

I decided the table was a better alternative and attempted to hit my head on it only to be stopped by a strong hand. "I don't want to hear you sing 'Never had a friend like me' over and over until I go to sleep."

"Oh come on. I adore that song!"

"I know you do. I hear it in my sleep and imagine you as a blue genie who never grants my wish for a single night of peace without singing." My head turned in his hand so he was cradling me. "And lots of pretty jewelry."

"As long as it looks nice." His eyes softened as he brushed his finger over my cheek. "I do suppose I am the reason we always have to play lovers. Even my mate's family question my intentions knowing how I am with you."

"It'll be her soon you can be lovers with instead of playing pretend with me." I stared into brown-red eyes. "Don't worry. I won't leave you. Just because we're not mates doesn't mean we don't have a connection."

"Sure as hell can't be a family connection because this would be real nasty." Alex's lips turned up slightly as he smiled. "Damn if I won't fight tooth and nail for my best friend keeping me alive instead of just living."

"There's always something to live for. You just have to find it."

It was silent between the two of us for a moment. "I live for seeing you in that orange thong you talked about."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at that, causing a few of the people who had stopped watching us in curiosity to glance back at us. Of course he'd bring the thong back. While we have various serious discussions, they never lasted long. We love having fun too much to really want to keep things too depressing or serious for too long. The amount of times we've made horribly inappropriate or lame jokes were too numerous to count.

"You found your mate, so stop trying to make out with me in the parking lot, okay? And put her over the car instead so my back can get a break."

"We're the worst best friends ever." The slight movement of Alex's hand let me know he was moving it away so I should hold up my own head's weight.

"Nah, you hold my hair back when I throw up and I apparently entertain you. It works out well."

Alex shrugged and leaned back into his previous position. "You have a nice ass. I don't have to be your mate to know that." His eyes glinted as he glanced back over at the Cullens. "I'm a male and can appreciate beauty where I see it."

I didn't bother trying to figure out why he decided this needed to be said to the Cullens and continued to eat my food. With him it could honestly be anything. "Stop challenging people over silly things. If you're having some kinda masculinity competition, please go drop your pants somewhere else. I've seen you naked enough times to be mentally scarred and teens are in this room right now. I don't want you scarring them too." There was a moment for my food to be swallowed before I spoke once more. "And don't do it to entice the teens. You're too old for them."

"So are you."

Sighing was my only response.

"See this is why we work so well." Alex leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek, causing me to groan and push his face away.

"I'm eating. I don't want to throw up."

"Aw, don't be like that my flower."

I waited until he was glancing around the cafeteria before shoving some of my food into his mouth. While he glared I smiled. "Be sure to swallow my dear. It's unbecoming of you to simply spit out a meal your poor little innocent girlfriend decided to share with you."

Giggles bubbled from me when I saw him swallow the nasty food. "You little brat."

"You love me you insufferable ass. Have fun throwing up for me."

He grinned at me and leaned closer. "Your period's starting soon. I'll enjoy watching you do the same thing in about a week. Paybacks a bitch huh?"

"So am I. I'm throwing up in your shoes if you don't hold my hair back."

"Woman I swear you're out to get me."

I grinned back at him before getting comfortable against his arm. "All women are out to get men. It's in our guides."

"I knew you had one."

"Caught me red handed." I settled my fork in the container and snapped the lid closed. The container was nearly smacked against his face when he made another comment about my bra. "Seriously. Are you just trying to embarrass me in front of other vampires? You know it won't work."

"Nah, making them jealous."

I snorted at that. "Making who jealous? Emmett's left shoe? If they really wanted to sneak a peek at a woman, it'd be blondie, not me."

"You're pretty," Alex defended.

"Never said I wasn't. I know I'm pretty. I'm not the prettiest or the ugliest, but between the two everyone's gonna pick the blonde bombshell, not the book nerd."

"Nah. I know some guys in this cafeteria who'd bend you over a library table."

My arms rose over my head as I stretched. "That's highly unsanitary...And gross. I also don't want to know who any of the teens are for my own sanity." A satisfying crack sounded in my back causing me to groan. "Yeah it's definitely about to start soon; my back's killing me."

I watched as Alex tilted his head slightly. "I'm told that some in the Cullen home know how to massage."

"Hell no. I'll never get off whatever surface I'm on in that case. School's just boring as hell and doesn't have enough movement. They use gym to keep everyone active, but with us opting out so I don't attempt murder when someone goes for a boob grab there's really no exercise here." It happened before and Alex nearly killed the boy in an attempt to protect my honor. There had been no need as I got revenge in getting Alex to aim a kickball straight at the boy.

He didn't walk quite right for a few hours.

"I'm done a bit early so let's get you in a bathroom so you can stop drooling over your mate on my shoulder." Red was showing just a little too much for my liking to really want to waste anymore time in getting Alex's new contacts in. "If it makes you both feel better, Alice can have my bra and you can appreciate her in it instead and buy me that orange thong."

"All my dreams come true," Alex replied with a wistful sigh as I stood up. He smacked my ass before standing beside me. "Just wear that and I'd be good."

"You're such a man whore. Now hurry up so I can go pee while you hold my bag." As usual I'll leave my bag with him while I do my business. "Later guys."

"We'll have Esme make something for you," Alice replied sweetly.

"Thank you." I glanced over my shoulder at the Cullens, immediately finding the shortest of the bunch. "Seriously. I know you'll hear it many times after this, but I want him happy and I know you'll do so." My bag was passed off to Alex as we both began walking. "Let's go Alex. Don't need too much gossip on the first day."

"As you wish my flower." Near the door to the cafeteria a small chuckle came from my companion. It caught my attention enough that I turned my head to look at him. "It was her name."