Chapter 1

"Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change."

As I entered school on the first day of my junior year Misery Business by Paramore was the song I heard coming through my ear buds.

"Great song to start the school year off with." I thought to myself with a quiet pang of irony in my inner voice. I knew a lot about a person's inner voice, I was well-acquainted with many 'inner voices'. Telepathic, some called it; I called it weird.

It had been a year since I had discovered who and what I was. Still, it shocked me. I had three abilities: mind-reading, extraordinarily beautiful (or so I heard) and I was

a certified genius. I never understood the "beautiful" thing, I assumed I was average-chestnut hair with red highlights, and green eyes aren't that uncommon. Anyway, only one of these was a secret, the mind-reading, obviously. Although only that was a secret, I had a few others. One of which was the vampire guardian…yeah vampire. I'd never seen him, much less met him. I knew his name, Tristan, and I knew his mind's voice. It was deep and yet sweet, I'd heard it many times-he is constantly watching me, no matter where or what I am doing.

Tristan was the guardian assigned to me over a year ago when the secret order known as The Sisterhood had made it known that I was one of them, that was another secret I kept from everyone I knew, to keep them safe.

The Sisterhood was an ancient order created to protect something, what it was I didn't know, I was indeed a member and held the key to an ancient secret, when they told me, shock lit my face and then I realized, it all made sense. The voices, the brilliance, everything. I accepted their membership in hopes that they would explain everything to me, they hadn't yet. I waited patiently. It was all I could do.

The first bell of the day sounded and woke me from my reverie. I took off for my first class, English this early in the morning was a disaster. I chose the seat farthest from the board in hopes that everyone would miss my existence.

"Geez, she's so beautiful. Why doesn't she flaunt it? I bet we'd all love to see that."

The murmur of male voices in my head was always so disturbing. Most of it wasn't even flattering, just awkward. Good thing they didn't know I always knew what they were thinking about me. Haha.

"I might ask her out this year…once I get up the nerves."

Wow. Not again. I hated rejecting guys; the way they looked as they walked away always killed me. It was worse when Eric thought about it; I'd known him since 2nd grade, since before all this had happened, and way before I understood why I always heard the voices.

"Oh great I've got genius girl in my class." The teachers always seemed so enthusiastic when I entered the room…not! They played nice, but secretly they hated me. Not because of anything I had done just because I was smarter than all of them, and would and could correct them if they made a mistake. Hey, come on, I think everyone should know the correct way to do something and since I have the ability I will share the correct way with everyone in the room.

Ms. Cope, English teacher, secretly wished she'd chosen another profession at that particular moment when her eyes locked on mine. She set her book on her desk and turned to face the class.

"Good Morning class, it's nice to see all of you back this year."

Really she was thinking all except me.

"This year we'll be studying great American literature." She continued with a sweet smile on her face. She passed out this year's syllabus and then she got to my desk.

"Aury, so nice to see you back this year. You won't have any trouble with this class I gather."

I laughed ruefully and answered politely, "No I gather I won't, Ms. Cope." I continued to smile politely as she walked to the next desk. Great. All eyes were on me, if they didn't already know I was there, they did now. This was going to be an exceptional year.

As class ended I packed up my bag and walked out the door. I felt eyes on my back as I walked past a large group of students, catching up on their summers I gathered from their conversation…and thoughts.

"She's always so shy."

"I should invite her to my pool party next week."

"Please don't," I thought to myself with panic in my inner voice. I wasn't one for parties, much less pool parties. But if asked I would feel obligated to go, so I would.

"Aury, wait up." Samantha Brown called after me.

I froze and turned around slowly.

"Hey Samantha, how was your summer?"

"It was great, how was yours?"

"It was good."

"Well hey; I was wondering if you wanted to come to my pool party next Saturday? It's just a group of us, nothing special."

"Umm yeah sure. I'd love to. Thanks for inviting me."

"Awesome! I'll get an invitation to you tomorrow okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, great."

"Bye Aury, see you tomorrow."

"Bye Samantha."

"Aury Cupertino at my party! The most beautiful girl in school at my party. This will attract the guys."

I heard the murmur of voices as Samantha told her group of friends who were all enthralled in her story at this point.

"…wow Aury!"

"Definitely going to be there…"

"Already this was going to be a disaster." I thought to myself. Not only would everyone be there now, but I also had to be in a bathing suit. Crap.

After another three classes of hearing the murmur in people's heads about Samantha's party, finally school was over and I could escape the incessant murmur in my head, the sad part was that it wasn't even my thoughts.

I rushed home to the quiet house in which I lived with my mom. My dad had died when I was only three, I barely remembered him but what I did remember was some of my fondest memories.

My mother was a lawyer and always worked late hours at her office. Most of the time I had the white house to myself and I could drown out the voices, but on occasion the voices were persistent as they tried to gain entrance into my inner-most mind. I tuned out all but one. Tristan's voice sounded angry as it sounded in my head.

"I can't believe Aury agreed to go to that stupid party! She never goes anywhere and now she suddenly decides she's going to go. And yes, Aury, I hope you're listening."

He knew I was listening, I laughed out loud as he continued his incessant rant inside his head.

"Yeah that's right, Aury, laugh at my thoughts. I know you're laughing I can hear you. Exceptional hearing remember"

I laughed again.

"Tristan I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you." I said laughing.

"Yeah right you weird little freak. I'm not laughing." He answered.

"Oh, it won't be that bad. You can scope out girls while you're there."

"As if any of you humans appealed to me."

"You never know, Tristan, maybe one of them will catch you're eye. I could take you as my date if you wanted."

"Ha. No."

"Aw why not?"

"You're not my type. And besides me-guardian, you-my charge."

"You're breaking my heart, Tristan." I managed to say through my giggles.

"Yeah, I can tell. Now stop reading my mind and do your homework." He always said that-even if I didn't have homework.

"Yeah okay I'll stop."

"Thanks."

"No problem, oh-vampirey-one."

I heard him laugh in his head as I pulled my English notebook out of my bag. Tristan and I got along, even though we'd never met. He was there when I needed a friend, not with me, but if I needed to talk, his mind was always there. He gave great advice, 200 years of experience; something ought to have rubbed off on him. I wrote the essay Ms. Cope had assigned and then moved on to my math, none of it was really challenging, but I hated it nonetheless.

Two hours later my mother walked through the door of our house with a bag from Ihop. Awesome, breakfast for dinner. I grabbed plates, napkins, and forks and knives and set them on the table as she headed upstairs to change out of her work clothes. She hated wearing her work clothes longer than she actually had to. We ate in silence, Mom knew I could hear her thoughts so we rarely spoke out loud, well I did, but she didn't have to.

"How was school?" she asked.

"It was fine. Samantha invited me to her pool party next Saturday, I said yes. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. How's Tristan?"

Mom knew about The Sisterhood, they thought it would be prudent if I told her. They met with her and explained everything, Tristan, the secret, my abilities and why I had them.

"He's fine. Irritated that I'm going to the party but he'll get over it."

"Be nice to Tristan. He's protecting you." She answered as she threw me a withering look out of the corner of her eye.

"I am. If he really didn't want me to go all he has to do is say so, he knows that."

"Maybe you should remind him of that fact, Aury."

"Okay, Mom, I will."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

From that point on she concentrated on her case, the trial was the next day and she was worried she'd lose. I wished I could tell her if she would or not, but alas I was only a mind-reader.

After I cleaned up the kitchen and finished some last minute homework I kissed mom goodnight and went to take a shower.

The warm water was soothing after my first day back at school. Over the summer the voices weren't so bad and I could concentrate more on my life and not the lives of others, but once school started the chaos ensued.

After my shower I set out my outfit for tomorrow, I'd chosen a pale pink skirt and plain white t-shirt, simple and yet still classic. I put my bag by the door and lay down to sleep.

"Tristan?"

"Yup?"

"Mom wants me to remind you that if you truly don't want me to go to the pool party I won't go." I spoke softly.

"I know. But I think you should go, maybe some human interaction won't be that bad for you."

"Alright. Just making sure."

"Don't worry about it, Aury. You'll have fun."

"Okay, thanks, Tristan. Goodnight."

I heard him laugh, he didn't sleep, it wasn't something vampires did.

"Goodnight, Aury. I won't be far, call if you need me."

"Okay, I will."

And with that I drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note:

Well I hope you guys liked the first chapter it's something I've been working on for a while. I'll post the second chapter as soon as I can .

Thanks for reading!