AN: I do not own Twilight. A special thanks to my Beta, Dream in Shadow!
Of course, Christmas break couldn't last forever. Reluctant to go back to school, I pretended that I was sick the morning of the first day back. Mrs. Weber let me stay home with Sunny, but I think it was more out of pity than anything else. The next day, though, I had no choice but to go to school.
I woke up and groggily noticed that something was off. It was too….quiet.
My spirits lifted slightly. I saw a faint ray of sunshine on my floor. No vampires today! The vampires, whom I knew now were the "Cullens," never showed up when the sun was shining. It made the idea of the dreaded day ahead a bit more bearable.
I got ready as quickly as I could, so that I could get out before Angela offered me a ride. She still did, every morning. And every morning, I had to see the hurt in her eyes as I turned her down. Before I could quite make it out the door, Mrs. Weber approached me, holding a brown paper bag.
"I prepared your lunch today," she told me quietly, handing the bag to me. Tears formed in my eyes. This family was so kind to me. I didn't deserve it- any of it. Silently, I took the bag, and slipped out the door before I could inconvenience the Webers any more.
I didn't bother wearing a coat. It was a bit chilly, but nothing I wasn't used to. Of course, when I arrived at school, everyone else was all bundled up. Had I not had my Wall up, I probably would have gotten some funny looks. Instead, I was ignored as I made my way to first period.
Many mindless sheets of homework and one gym class later, I made my way to a grassy area outside where I sat down to eat. I opened my paper bag and glanced inside. Mrs. Weber had packed a croissant, some cranberry juice, and a chocolate chip cookie. Touched by her kindness, I made an effort to eat the food she gave me.
As I munched on the cookie, two girls walked past the grassy area. I flinched instinctively.
"I'd heard it, but I didn't think it was true." The girl with blond hair was too engrossed in the conversation to notice me.
"Oh, it is," The other girl, a short brunette, answered. "The Swan girl really is coming here."
"Do you know when?" The blond inquired.
"Sometime this month, I think."
As the two girls gossiped, I snuck away. So, there was going to be another new student. I pitied her. Not only was she going to be going to a school infested with vampires, she didn't have a Wall to protect herself from the stares of the curious students. She was bound to be noticed.
I headed to my next class. Science was definitely not my favourite subject. Every word the teacher said sounded like gibberish. The fact that there was a vampire in my class wasn't helping. I kept my seat on the other side of the classroom, just in case. It wouldn't help much if he decided to massacre the class, but I could hope that he wouldn't notice me.
The rest of the class filed in. Most of them seemed to be whispering about the new girl- what would it be like when she actually arrived? Mr. Vincent quieted everyone down, and began to teach the lesson. I doodled as he droned on, only half-listening. Biology was not one of my interests. The time passed relatively quickly. Soon, class was nearly over. I began to pack up my notes, and Mr. Vincent picked random people off a class list to answer his questions. Just a few minutes left…
"Sophie Weber?"
I froze.
Mr. Vincent had said my name. Now, he was glancing around the classroom, a slightly confused look on his face.
What could I do? I couldn't possibly answer the question- not in front of everyone. Not in front of the vampire, who, for the first time all class, actually seemed interested. But if I didn't answer, the teacher might notice my name- remember it- and call it again next class. Leaving me in the same position. Neither choice was safe. What could I do? I glanced desperately at the clock. With relief, I saw that there were just a few seconds left. The bell rang, and I was the first one out the door. Behind me, the vampire had a mildly puzzled look on his face.
I headed off to my next class, still shaking from my close call. What now? The teacher would go home, wondering why "Sophie Weber" hadn't answered his question. The vampire had my name, if not my face. More importantly, he had my family name. I briefly considered moving again, but soon rejected the idea. I couldn't do that to the Webers.
The next class passed by harmlessly. I couldn't remember a single thing the teacher had said. It didn't really matter, anyway. Just about everything paled in importance compared to the fact that a vampire that knew that I knew that it was a vampire (if that made any sense) knew my name. The last time that that had happened, horrible things had happened- were still happening.
I gathered my books, slipped into my jacket, and ran home to my puppy.
I was greeted at home by a wagging tail. A smile spread, unbidden, across my face, and I bent over to pick Sunny up. He gave my face a little lick, welcoming me back. I felt my worries slip away. True, there were monsters outside, but I had a loving puppy in my arms. Even the grey sky outside seemed brighter.