Part Five:

Claire Bennet: Who I am? So what, I can crawl through a wood chipper and live to tell about it. That narrows my choices in life to freak or guinea pig, in most cases both. What's wrong with wanting to be normal? You should try it.

- Season 1, Episode 3: One Giant Leap

"Get started." Mr. Banner told the class. I frown at the battered old microscope and the slides. I have done this same experiment before. Oh well, maybe I'd learn something new, or not.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward made a small gesture at the equipment just as uneager as I. Maybe he had been in advance placement biology too. It would explain a bit. There wasn't exactly a diverse selection of courses to choose from here.

I sigh.

"Or, I could start, if you wish," He said quietly.

I shake my head then grab the microscope, dragging it towards me. I look through the eye piece and with a quick examination, start to pull the slide out. "Prophase." I state.

"May I?" He politely interjects. That was the thing about Edward, polite yet annoying. He is all poker face again now, no hint of the teasing guy from the hallway incident. I was still trying to forget that.

Instinctively his hand moves to stop me from removing the slide. They brush. I feel like I have just touched a live wire, not that I'd actually know what that felt like as I have never tested my ability out on that though I'm sure if I did it would something like this only painful.

Edward snaps his hand back instantly. He puts the offending hand out of sight in his pocket. That was kind of weird reaction if you asked me; though mine wasn't much better. I just stare at mine rather dumbly.

His hand was smooth, hard and ice cold. The feeling of them had been electrifying…

Edward didn't allow me to contemplate this, interrupting by clearing his throat, acting like nothing had happened. He made a motion with one finger for me to pass him the microscope to double check my work. A little offended that he didn't completely trust my judgment I anyways oblige him.

Okay, so I didn't jump to answer every single question. Neither did him though. Besides, when I was, I always got them right, well, most of the time.

He looks through the eye piece. "Prophase." He agrees then writes it down in an elegant script on the lab sheet. He switches the slides to the next one. Then he glances at this one. "Anaphase." His hand hovers over to the lab sheet again.

"May I?" I ask, mimicking the exact words he used. I hold out my hand. He arches his eyebrow slightly then passes the microscope over to me. Our skin doesn't touch again.

He was right again, he always seemed to be. It would have been satisfying if once he wasn't. In class when no one else answered a question Mr. Banner would always call on Edward who always got them right. The teacher even pulled some higher level questions, ones I didn't even know the answer to. He always got them right, every single one. Eventually Mr. Banner would frown and shuffle down the aisle to question the other students with easier ones.

Once when Mr. Banner was passing back graded tests I caught a glimpse of his grade. It was an A++. I should have figured. I wondered why he didn't just test out or something.

I nod to him to indicate that yes, he was right and could go ahead and mark it down. He wears a slight smirk as he does. I check the next slide, identify it, and he would double check me and vice versa.

We are the first group to finish. Other students are still struggling on the first slide. Many have their text books open under the table, flipping through them.

Mr. Banner comes by to check on our work. "Finished already?" He gives Edward a reproving look. "I hope you let Claire do some of the work."

"Actually," Edward says. "She indentified three of five."

"Really?" Mr. Banner turns to me while I mentally wince at this extra attention being brought to myself. A few of the stuck students that are waiting for help notice. My dad would have a field day if he knew. "Have you done this lab before?"

"Not with onion root." Please drop it I mentally plead.

"Whitefish Blastula?" He probes.

Obviously my telepathic abilities suck. I sink a little into my chair. "Yeah," I reply, knowing that was only done with advanced students. That would make me special, more intelligent. Another wall had sprung up between me and my peers. This being average thing isn't easy.

"Were you in advance placement in…what was it? Portland Oregon?"

I nod once. To the keen eyed observer this should seem out of place. I don't think I really fit in with the from-Oregon crowd. Oregon I am sure isn't Sunnyville either and with the whole sun streaked hair and tanned skin… But I have noticed that most people do not question such slight mysteries, rather they let them pass then to dive into something with unknown depths.

After Banner leaves I turn to see what Edward is doing only to find he is studying me with a thoughtful expression.

I couldn't help it. "What?"

"People, everyone is the same yet unique. All have the ability to break forth from their mold, but do they? Only but a few do. No, most would rather blend in to the point of invisibility, sheep, wanting to be led."

Okay, I did ask but seriously, where did this come from? I mean I guess what he just said makes sense and all; it is kind of what I'm trying to do here but when did guy become a philosopher? Is this the type of stuff he thought about during class? "I'm not sure I follow…"

He opens his mouth to further elaborate then shakes his head once thinking better of it

"No really, come on." I move my face into his line of sight, making him look me in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" He utters softly. His eyes seem to go out of focus for a second, his brow furrowed. Then his face settles back into his usual smooth, blank, expressionless face.

I drop it knowing I won't get anything more out of him.

Tap, tap, tap… The rubber eraser bounces off my blank homework repeatedly.

His hands had been so cold, like they had been left in a freezer.

Tap, tap, tap…

Or maybe it was just me. Maybe most people up here hand's were cooler. The blood was thinner or something.

Tap, tap, tap…

No, wait it is people from warmer climates who have thinner blood….I think.

Tap, tap, tap…

Whatever, it had to have really just been me. Maybe my hands had been just really warm then or something. Or I have an overactive imagination… probably.

Tap, tap, tap…

But when our hands touched and there was that electric feeling pulse, I could have sworn…

The taps slow to a stop.

Maybe that is what people are always talking about when they say sparks flew.

Oh God, there is no way…

I groan and flop backwards on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Okay, yes, he is gorgeous in a, well; I'm not exactly sure what word I would use to describe his type of gorgeousness. Edward was, well different from every body else too. That much was obvious. He too, like me, seemed to try to blend in, but also…like he didn't really care to. He just naturally stood out I guess. He was different, in what I'd have to say, a good way.

No, no, no, no! I am, and will not ever think of Edward that way, even consider it again. I am not going to join the throng of the young freshmen girls and drool over him and giggle when he walks past. I know better. I learned, the hard way what seemingly gorgeous guys are capable of. Besides, I console myself; he doesn't have much of personality going for him. Well…

I shove the idea, the very thought in to the very back of my mind where I hope to forget I ever thought it.

I continue to stare at my white ceiling letting all thought drain from my mind as I rhythmically breathe in the out. I think it would be cool to get some of those glow in the dark star stickers and stick them up there, making constellations. I'm tired of it always being overcast. I'd like to see the stars again, even if it is inside. I mentally add it to my shopping list.

Edward's words from earlier today drift back to me.

"All have the ability to break forth from their mold, but do they? Only but a few do. No, most would rather blend in to the point of invisibility, sheep, wanting to be led…"

When I thought of Edward I definitely didn't think of sheep… more predatory.

Another predator's image flashes before me and I wince as if struck.

His eyes as they leered closer. The way my body felt as it was thrown against the wall, broken. The ominous footsteps as they echo, coming closer…

No, he was dead, I saw it myself. He was run through by the Japanese man. He would never hurt me again.

I'd never admit to anybody but I still had the occasional nightmare about it. The thought of it, what could have happened, what did happen to a girl I once called a friend and many others… It still petrified me, my body would grow tense, my breathing ragged. I'd have to turn the light on and wait for my heart to calm. He was the monster, my personal boogey man.

But he was dead. I had to let go of the fear I had stored up. It was over. All I had to worry about now was avoiding the company. That was my mission now. I had to be careful. No one could ever know.

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to update. I got a really big test coming up to study for, the rest of my school, work and plus I've been under the weather. I know this chapter is a little short but the next will be much longer. I promise! I've been hard at work on it.