Today at school was mostly the same as yesterday. I was starting to get into a routine. I still avoided the other students as much as possible, although a few had come up to me throughout the day. Once they realized I didn't talk, they didn't seem as eager to interact with me. But that was okay. I was content with my new loner status. After looking back to how I treated my human friends in Forks… I figured it was better if I didn't make that same mistake again.

As I navigated out of the parking lot, I was glad I didn't have much homework. Today was supposed to be my first day of work. I had all the paperwork I would need to get the job: social security card and drivers license. I even had my birth certificate just in case. All I could do was hope the owners didn't change their mind.

Before heading to the coffee shop, I first stopped at the general store to buy a flash drive. I hadn't yet communicated my need for a printer to Charlie, so for now this would be the best solution. I didn't look through the selection. I simply picked a cheap one and went to the register to pay.

I was fifteen minutes early when I pulled into the parking spot in front of the coffee shop. I don't know why I was so nervous. I was already told I had the job, though I couldn't understand why. I'd never seen, let alone met, the owners. It made no sense that they were ready to hire me already. Especially with me being mute.

That strange tugging sensation was back. I hadn't felt it since before I went to bed. I was starting to think I should tell Charlie in case it was a sign that something was wrong with me. I didn't have time to dwell on that though. I grabbed my documents and my whiteboard and made my way inside.

There were a few people in line when I got inside. I saw Claire working the register again. There was no one making the drinks which meant Claire had to do that as well. I couldn't tell if showed up at a good time or a really bad time.

After about ten minutes all the orders were taken. Claire looked at me, expecting me to be another customer. I could see the relief on her face when she realized who I was.

"Bella," she greeted. "Come on around. Irina will be here in a few hours. I'll start training you now."

I opened the small door that separated the dining area from the work area. I sat my papers to the side for now. Claire handed me an apron and I quickly put it on.

"This is the regular coffee and decaf," Claire explained pointed to a large machine. "I make it fresh when I come in and then remake it as needed. We get free coffee and snacks during our shifts as long as it doesn't disrupt our work and we're not using everything. For instance, if we wanted a cup of coffee, that's fine but we either need to make sure there's enough for a customer, or make more so there definitely will be enough. With me so far?"

I nodded and for the next two hours Claire walked me through everything I needed to know about being a barista. She didn't show me how to make every single drink as there were so many but she did show me the most popular ones, and our favorites. She walked me through all of the orders for the time we were training and for the last two orders that came in I was on my own, unless I had questions. It was simple enough and I was grateful for the chance to learn.

My responsibilities were rather simple: make the drinks, keep everything clean in my area, and make sure everything was stocked. The fridge and pantry in the back had the extra syrups, coffee and milks.

On top of her duty as a cashier, Claire was also responsible for the pastries that were sold and keeping the tables clean during shift. Whoever was closing was responsible for the rest of the cleaning.

My shift for today would last until seven, which also happened to be closing time. This would give Claire time to show me how to close and shut everything down. Saturday I would learn how to open.

According to Claire, seven was also when this mysterious Irina would show up. She was supposed to be here when I got here but for some reason she didn't show, instead texting Claire to let her know she would be by later. It wasn't a big deal, especially considering how busy we were for the first two hours of my shift.

"Irina is on her way," Claire announced.

I looked up from the counter I was currently cleaning. Claire had decided to teach me another drink during the lull in customers. It was going great…until I spilled the espresso all over the counter. Claire simply laughed and tossed me a rag. She said Irina and her sisters weren't concerned by little accidents like that. It sounded like the sisters were loaded and the business was more for fun then profit.

I went back to my cleaning, determined to make everything as nice as possible for Irina's arrival. The last thing I wanted was for this Irina to decide she didn't want to hire me after all.

I heard the chime when the door opened but I didn't look up. I was too busy cleaning.

"Bella," Claire called getting my attention. "Irina's here."

I was eager to meet Irina. She seemed like a decent boss. She didn't care if we made ourselves coffee or ate some pastries or sandwiches during our shift. Not that I intended to take advantage of that, but it was kind of nice. I quickly washed my hands and made my way over to Claire and Irina.

"Hello, you must be Bella. I'm Irina," Irina introduced.

I looked up and my heart stopped. Long, wavy blonde hair with pale skin and gold eyes staring at me, that could only mean one thing: vampire. There were vampires in Denali.

That now familiar tugging sensation was back. I glanced at Irina. It took me only a minute to realize the sensation wasn't coming from her. The tugging was going in the opposite direction. I shook my head. It didn't matter. I didn't care what the tugging meant, if it meant anything. All I could think about was the vampire in front of me, and the fact that I was once again a part of their world.

A few weeks ago, I would have given anything to be a part of the vampire world once again. With them. But now…now I was starting to realize that maybe I wasn't meant for that world. That I was a human and no matter how much they seemed like it, they weren't. Did I want to associate with vampires again, knowing I might get heartbroken?

I bit my lip. I was getting ahead of myself. Just because the owner of the coffee shop I now worked was a vampire didn't mean I actually had to associate with them. There was no guarantee they even wanted to associate with me and I was okay with that. I could deal with one vampire if it meant I could keep this job. But I wouldn't be friends with her.

"Bella, are you okay?" Irina asked concerned.

I looked up, flinching at the sight of her concerned gold eyes. The same shade of gold from my nightmares. She moved closer to me and I backed away. I couldn't breath and my whiteboard was just out of reach.

I glanced at Claire. She was looking back and forth between us in confusion. I could see she wanted to ask questions but was resisting. Was she afraid of Irina like most humans were afraid of vampires? Did she know about vampires?

"Claire, can you get a wet washcloth please?" Irina requested. "I don't think Bella is feeling too well." Claire disappeared into the back and Irina took one, slow step toward me. "You know what I am." It wasn't a question. She knew, I knew, but I nodded anyway. "Do you know what my eyes mean?" I nodded again. "Then you know I would never hurt you." I shook my head. I didn't believe it. She may not want to drink from me but she could, and would, still hurt me. It was only a matter of time.

She disappeared for a second and reappeared with my whiteboard and marker. The tugging in my chest was more noticeable… more urgent. I put my hand to my chest and rubbed it, hoping the feeling would disappear. She handed me my whiteboard, her eyes locked on the hand over my heart. I wanted to ask about it but I refused to engage with her more than necessary.

You may not want to kill me, but there are plenty of other ways for you to hurt me, I wrote. I'm not taking that chance.

I knew she wouldn't understand what it meant but I didn't care. I was letting her know right now that I didn't want to be close to her.

"So, a vampire hurt you in the past," she muttered.

She didn't have time to say anything else as Claire returned with the washcloth. She handed to Irina and Irina gently wiped my forehead.

"Are you okay Bella?" Claire asked concerned.

I grabbed the whiteboard. Just a little lightheaded, I lied. Must have been from all of those chemicals.

Claire laughed at that. I glanced at Irina but her face was expressionless. She was probably still processing what I told her. "Claire, do you mind finishing up here so I can get Bella situated?" Irina asked suddenly.

"Not at all Irina," Claire told her. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," Irina said with a small smile. She gestured for me to walk ahead of her. I walked to the room I hadn't been in yet, but I knew was the office.

I sat down on the chair across from the desk and scribbled a note. How many of you are there?

"Five," Irina answered, not needing any clarification on what I was talking about. "Me, my sisters Kate and Tanya, and our cousins, Eleazar and Carmen. How long have you known about vampires?"

About nine months. This was something I was okay with being honest about.

Irina nodded. "Well, you weren't surprised by my eye color which means you're used to animal drinkers, not human drinkers, and the only animal drinkers other than my coven is the Cullen's…" I flinched. "So, it is them?" Irina questioned. I looked down. "Idiots," she muttered under her breath.

Do I still have the job here? I hated having to ask but I needed to know if I should look for another job.

Irina's eyes widened in surprise. "Of course, you do," Irina said. "Assuming you want it. I'm the only one that really spends any time here, but we would still have to interact but I can keep it professional if that's what you want."

I nodded. I did really like this job, even though it had only been a day. I could be polite to a vampire if that's what it took to keep the job.

I would really like to have this job. I paused before asking my next question. Does Claire know about you?

"No," Irina answered. "We don't tell humans what we are. One of the reasons I hired her was because she didn't fear us, nor did she seem enticed by us. It works out for everyone. We pay extremely well, but don't advertise jobs. You don't speak… was that something you were born with?" she asked curious.

I shook my head. Irina sighed, probably frustrated she wasn't getting any information from me but that was fine. "Alright then," she said. "I grabbed this off the counter." She held up a copy of my birth certificate and social security card. "Do you have a bank account here?"

No, I wrote. Before we moved I closed my small account I had. Luckily, Charlie's was from a major bank so he didn't have to deal closing his accounts.

"Okay," Irina said with a nod. "I can do regular checks for you for now. But it would be easier, and faster, if you opened an account and gave me the information for direct deposit." I nodded again. She stared at me for a minute and shook her head slightly. "Okay, the only thing left to discuss is your schedule."

I get out of school at one, I told her.

"Let's do 1:30 to 4:30 during school," Irina said after a minute. "And weekends, are you open to 7am to 3pm on Saturday, and eleven to closing on Sunday?"

I thought about it. That would be two full eight now shifts on the weekends and three hours a day during the week. It wasn't much but it was definitely something. She hadn't mentioned days off but I wasn't going to say anything.

"Are there any specific days off that you want?" Irina questioned.

No, I wrote. My schedule is rather open. Um, actually I have plans with my Dad on Saturday. I'm not sure the exact time."

"That's fine," Irina said. "If you need to leave early just let me know." She grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled something down. "This is my phone number. The other two numbers belong to my sisters, Kate and Tanya. If you need anything, or want to change your days or hours, fill free to text us."

I took the slip from her. It was a nice gesture but I didn't believe that this was solely about work. But that was fine. I would only text if I absolutely had to. And I refused to text her about anything that was not work related.

I could, and would, resist these vampires. I wasn't sure what they wanted from me, or if they did want something, but it didn't matter. I wouldn't fall into their web again.

Is there anything else? I have homework to do still.

It was just after seven and we were now officially closed. "You can go," Irina told me. "I'll help Claire finish up. I'll be by tomorrow during your shift to drop off your name tag. Have a good night Bella."

I left the office and waved at Claire on my way out of the shop. I groaned when I realized I left my papers inside. I was just getting ready to knock on the door when I heard Irina's voice, she was talking to someone.

"It's not going to work Tanya." There was a short pause. She was on the phone I realized. "Tanya, stop. She wants nothing to do with us." Another pause and Irina turned around, her gold eyes locked on me. "I have to go." She snapped the phone shut.

"Did you need something Bella?" she asked. She didn't look mad at me for listening so that was something. I pointed to my whiteboard and paperwork on the desk. "Oh." She grabbed the stuff and handed it to me. "I know you were listening, if you ever want to talk about it, let me know."

I grabbed my stuff and left the shop.

As I drove home I couldn't help but think about Irina. It seemed vampires being pushy was not just limited to them. It was all gold eyed vampires. Fate must really hate me. Why else would I move on from one vampire family to another. I was still certain I could resist them. If it wasn't for the fact that I was certain I wouldn't be able to find another job, I wouldn't have accepted this offer. But it was okay. I would keep a professional relationship with Irina, and anyone else in their family. After all, it wasn't as if any of them would want me. I mean, what are the odds that I would find a second vampire that was attracted to a human.

Charlie's car was already in the driveway when I got home. I should have texted him while I was at work. He was probably worried about me. I grabbed my stuff and headed inside. I could smell the takeout when I got inside. It smelled like Chinese food.

"Bella," Charlie called from the kitchen.

I made my way to him and found him emptying out takeout containers onto real plates. "Hey Bells," he greeted without looking up. "I figured you were working and I didn't want you to have to worry about dinner, so I got some takeout. Hope you don't mind."

I shook my head. The food actually smelled good. It looks good. I tapped the counter so he could read the message. I quickly scribbled another while he was watching. Sorry I didn't text you, we were busy for a while. Then I met one of the owners, Irina. She had me take care of some paperwork and figure out my schedule.

"Go sit," Charlie instructed. I washed my hands and then went to the table. Charlie served me my plate, chow mein and orange chicken. He grabbed his own plate and a beer before sitting down across from me. "So, what's your new schedule?"

1:30 to 4:30 during school, 7am to 3pm on Saturdays and 11am to close on Sundays. I can have whatever days off I need.

"You're skipping the barbeque then?" Charlie questioned. He seemed rather sad about it.

I'm not. I wasn't sure what time it started and I told Irina I may need to leave early. She was fine with that.

"I'll have to double check the time," Charlie said.

Irina mentioned I should get a bank account for direct deposit, I told him. She said she would do paper checks for now but direct deposit would be easier and faster.

Charlie nodded. "I didn't think of that," he admitted. "Well, you're eighteen so you don't need my permission or anything to open an account. But I can go with you, if you want." I nodded. "Alright, why don't you meet me at First National Bank after work tomorrow? We'll get that account created and you can give this Irina that information."

The rest of dinner was rather quiet. I managed to finish all my food. I could tell Charlie was surprised but he didn't say anything. I cleaned up the kitchen tonight, not that there was much to do. Other than trashing the takeout containers I had to take the trash out. That strange tugging was back. I did my best to ignore it but it was always there.

By the time I got upstairs the tugging was gone. I felt a sort of emptiness once the feeling was gone. I couldn't explain it. Though the feeling was strange, it wasn't uncomfortable. It did, however, bring a sense of longing with it.

I quickly finished my homework and typed out my paper so I could print it at school in the morning. When I had everything done, I went to shower and get ready for bed.

Sleep did not come easy for me. My mind was far too distracted by the presence of vampires in my life once again. They were right. I was a magnet for danger. I didn't even want to be involved with vampires this time and it seemed I didn't have much of a choice, not if I wanted this job.

Irina knew my connection to the others. I wonder if she knew exactly who I was and who I was involved. She didn't say anything about it but that could be because she knew I wouldn't answer. Part of me was curious but the other part of me wanted to stick to my plan of not speaking to her.

I thought back to the part of a conversation I heard. There was no way Irina didn't know I was there and listening. Did she want me to overhear? She was talking to her sister, Tanya, and it sounded like it was about me. What I couldn't understand is what I had to do with Irina's sister? I hadn't even met her. And this Tanya person apparently had a plan that Irina said no to. A plan I was certain had to do with me.

I rolled over and started at the blue letters of the alarm clock. It was approaching midnight and I still couldn't sleep. It was getting increasingly frustrating. The harder I tried to sleep, the more I would start to think about these vampires.

Sometime after two, I managed to succumb to the exhaustion.