At the end of the day, Mira returned to her locker, dialed in the combo to her lock and retrieved her coat and books. It had been a long day, made even longer by her distracting thoughts. Ever since she'd had her first class (the one with the serious-looking, honey-blonde boy) he was all she could think about. Everything about him made her heart stutter in her chest, and the heat rise into her cheeks. Even now, without him around, she could still imagine the slight cockiness to his smile, and the waves and shades in his hair. She could have sworn she could still smell the sweet air that swirled around him. Shaking her head to herself, she shrugged her coat on and tried to focus her attention elsewhere.

She inhaled deeply. Was she imagining the honeyed taste in the air? Exhaling, she closed her locker, books safely tucked away in her bag and under her arm. She rummaged in her bag for her car keys, a present from her mom who insisted on the safest SUV on the market this year. As she turned, she looked up, with the hairs on the back of her neck raised, feeling the unmistakable feeling of being watched. Looking around, though, she couldn't see anyone actually staring at her. Her brow furrowed in concern. Maybe she was just tired.

The drive home was uneventful, and when she finally pulled into her mom's driveway, she was grateful for the absence of her tiny red Prius. Mira was silently elated for the time alone. Ever since she'd moved up here, her mom had been constantly hovering. There were worse ways to parent, and it normally wouldn't bother her at all, but Mira hadn't been alone since before the funeral. She hurried inside and up to her room; at least, the room that she'd taken. The only personalized thing in her room right now was the photo collage she'd made of her family, that hung just above the dresser: family photos from when she was younger, and her parents still lived together; in recent years, just her and her father.

She paused, staring at one of the photos in particular. It had been her twelfth birthday, and her mom was dressed in a neat pantsuit. Mira was younger, but she still looked happy in the photo. Right after it was taken, her mother had had to leave. She'd been showing a house the next evening, and had to make the long drive back up. Looking at the picture now, Mira could only remember how upset she'd been, and how hard she'd tried not to let it show. She was sure if anyone else looked at it, they would swear she'd been elated. And they would be wrong.

Mira set her books down on the nightstand, and let her bag drop to the floor nearby. She dropped onto the bed, which was turned down neatly by her mother before she'd left for work. It felt like a stranger's room. Mira knew that she should be trying to feel comfortable here, but just being in Washington reminded her of the life that she'd lost. As she was lost in thought, her phone started ringing from the bottom of her bag. The teen started, not expecting the sudden noise, and shot up to grab for her phone.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hello, may I speak to a Ms. Mira St. Clair?"

Mira frowned, not recognizing the voice. It sounded like an older woman. "Speaking. How can I help you?"

"Ah, good," the voice lightened, "I'm Mrs. Green, from Lost Pages. I was just reviewing your application, are you still interested in a position here?"

"Oh, yes of course!" Mira subconsciously straightened her posture. "Absolutely, when should I come in for the interview?"

The woman laughed. "Oh, don't be silly, dear. It's a bookstore, not a law firm. I'm sure a phone interview would suffice, wouldn't you say?"

Mira smiled to herself and agreed. Fifteen minutes later, they hung up, with the promise of a start date on the weekend. At least there were some good things happening, she thought to herself. Maybe with enough distractions, the next couple years may actually be bearable here.


The next morning, Mira pulled into the school parking lot as a certain blonde was arriving with what could only be his family. She couldn't help but stare; they were all unnaturally gorgeous. Any one of them could have passed as a model. Still, it was difficult to pry her eyes away from Jasper. His hair caught the light, almost shining even with the limited sunlight. He was dressed casually, wearing a simple shirt under a blue button-down shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. Just like before, Mira was absolutely star struck. Jasper looked up as they all walked across the parking lot, meeting her eyes. How long had he known she was there? God, she hoped he hadn't seen her staring…

Quickly, she bent down, busying herself with gathering her things. She almost forgot her thermos, which was filled with sweet, warm coffee. When she looked up again, Jasper was gone, along with his brother and sisters. She felt a pang of disappointment mixed with relief. She didn't have History today, which meant she wouldn't have an excuse to talk to him. At least she wouldn't have to risk embarrassing herself again until tomorrow, she reasoned with herself. Regardless, she needed to get to her locker and put up her books. She reached for the door handle and prepared herself to brave the cold winds. As she walked up to the school, she wondered briefly if Jasper's eyes had looked darker than usual today. Instead of the dark gold she remembered from her first day, they looked almost like deep brown. No, she must have imagined it. People's eyes don't change color like that. Maybe it just looked darker because of the clouds outside. She made her way inside and promptly put it out of her mind.

The rest of the week passed by without much embarrassment, and aside from the usual workload, school was surprisingly easy to deal with. She would rush through lunch, eating enough to keep herself from feeling hungry for the rest of the day at school, and then spend as much time as she could in the library. The quiet was the perfect environment for her to study in peace. When classes were over, she would take her time going home, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Cullens, Jasper in particular, on their way out of the lot. When she realized what she was doing, she would feel a sweeping sense of embarrassment, and hurry home.

With so much anxiety about the weekend, and so little to do with her time, it was no wonder it felt like a lifetime before Friday ended. Even with the promise of History class, and seeing Jasper again, Mira felt herself buzzing with excitement and impatience. After school, she'd be free for the weekend, which meant something else to occupy her time. Considering how little she had to do at home, it wouldn't be too hard to convince the manager of Lost Pages to let her work a few days during the week. She barely even tuned in during her classes, taking notes without much thought. Her focus was consumed by the concept of a new way to spend her time. A job would provide the means to pick up new hobbies to take up her time.

If she had looked up during History, she would have noticed Jasper staring at her curiously with darkened brown eyes.


School finally ended at 2:30, and Mira wasted no time picking up her textbooks and running to her car. With an hour to make it to work, she wanted to stop by at home and change. Jeans and a T-shirt were perfect for school, but they hardly said "professional". Instead, she opted for a plain navy blue A-line skirt and a dark blue button up. Passing the mirror hanging above her dresser, she noted her tousled hair and flushed appearance. She frowned, picking at a strand of her frazzled, mousy hair. A few more minutes working on her appearance wouldn't hurt. She dragged a brush through her hair, pinning it back with a plain barrette, splashed her face with water, and dried herself as she rushed out the door.

Twenty minutes later, she'd parked outside the bookstore. It may have been a quicker trip because of how excited she was, but she arrived exactly fifteen minutes early. Perfect. She grabbed her backpack and slung it up onto her shoulder. She took a quick breath, making sure her clothes were straightened, and strode to the door. A bell chimed, announcing her arrival.

"Hello." A bored voice came from the back of the shop. "Welcome."

"Hi," Mira cleared her throat, not expecting a male's voice, "I'm looking for Mrs. Green. Is she here?" For a moment, she was wondering if she were in the right place, despite having double-checked the sign on her way in.

"Oh." A teenage boy appeared from behind one of the numerous shelves, carrying a small stack of paperbacks, "You must be the new girl. Mika?"

"Mira," she corrected, taken off-guard by the boy's presence, "And I guess you could say I'm the new girl."

He said nothing, staring at her with a strange expression. She took the awkward silence to quietly study the boy. The first thing she noticed was his hair, which was strangely dyed a mix of white, gray, and black. It was long, and slightly messy. His face was set in a bored expression, with half-lidded eyes, and a slight frown. She felt her heart jump into her throat. He was handsome in a soft way. His face had a feminine shape, although his eyes formed hard angles. The juxtaposition of the two made her want to keep staring. He cocked an eyebrow and turned to put the books on the counter. He was tall, and looked to be around seventeen.

"The owner isn't in today, unfortunately," he said without looking at her, "But she told me I'd be in charge of training you. She'll be here tomorrow to handle your paperwork." He faced her with a wry smile. "You can consider this your working interview."

Mira blinked. Her face was burning. This was her trainer? She prayed she had made a good enough impression on him. Did he have to be so attractive?

"My name is Asher, by the way." He shot over his shoulder as he disappeared around a corner. His voice faded out as he continued. "You can put your things in the back room for now; I'll show you how the shelves are organized as soon as I finish prepping this order."

With a sinking feeling, Mira dragged herself to the back. She'd hoped her first day would go smoothly. Was everyone in this town a secret model?