A.N. Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed or alerted this story.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Aiden jogged at a normal pace down the street, thinking about her mother's odd reaction. She seemed almost… scared…

Aiden gave her head a hard shake. Her mother did not get scared unless it was something life threatening- even then she usually didn't get scared! And if this Batchelder guy was a threat, she wouldn't be going to school right now. Her mom and her would have been packed up and gone- again.

Not liking where her thoughts were going, Aiden pushed them out of her mind with a sigh, focusing completely on running. Seeing that nobody was around, she gave up her slow, 'normal' pace and actually ran. Her long, dirty blonde hair whipped out behind her like a streamer. Her feet barely touched the ground before they were moved again.

Aiden laughed happily, she loved running. It was one of the only ways she actually felt free and happy. She was forced to slow down when she got closer to the school. Wouldn't want to draw any more attention to herself, now would she?

Loathe as Aiden was to admit it, she actually liked it here, and was pretty sure her mom did, too. The town was quiet, there was a very low crime rate, but there were so many things to do! There were fairs, picnics, a large mall (even though her mom hated shopping), carnivals and circuses that came through town every now and then, and even a horse farm to go trail riding about an hour away. Then there was how much nature had been preserved in the area. There were a bunch of large parks strewn across town and trees, flowers, and bushes were everywhere. There was a large wooded area right behind their house which was on the edge of town, perfect for hikes and other… activities.

Aiden slowed to a walk for the walk up to the front doors of the school. Whispers and stares followed behind her wherever she went. She easily ignored them, walking past with a blank expression on her face. On the inside she was annoyed. She and her mom had moved here about a month ago. Wasn't that enough time to get over the novelty of a new student?

Something knocked into Aiden's arm, causing her to drop her bag, books spilling out onto the cement walkway. That wouldn't have normally happened but today she had been deep in thought and hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings.

A couple of older students walked past her, seniors if their 'Graduating Class- Seniors Rock' shirts were anything to go by. They sneaked looks back at her and snickered, not even trying to hide it.

Aiden shot a nasty glare at their backs, smirking when she caught them shiver and quicken their pace. She knelt to the ground and gathered her things, slipping them back into the bag. With a grunt of annoyance she stood up and slid her bag back onto her shoulder, hurrying off to first period.

Aiden darted into her first period class- Trig. She slipped past the clusters of teens talking to each other to her seat in the back corner of the room, right next to the window. All of the seats around her were empty, and she liked it that way. The other students clustered near the door, in order to get out of the room faster. She didn't really care about that though. She chose the window seat because the window would be the quickest way out of the building in case of an emergency, that was what really mattered to her. That's why she sat in the same seat in all of her classes, right next to the window.

Aiden dug through her bag and pulled out a set of pencils and her drawing book. She flipped through the pages, looking at all the pictures. A lot of them were of her and her mom and different landscapes from aerial view. There were also pictures of each of their houses and some of animals. Flipping to the end of the finished drawings, she turned to a half done picture of her and her mother. Both of them were standing behind the kitchen counter making chocolate chip cookies from scratch, just like her mother liked it.

She was just adding the final touches, a bit of shading and a little more detail when the teacher, Ms. Klass, walked in. Everyone took their seats, quieting down to avoid detentions. Ms. Klass sat down at the computer and quickly took attendance before logging off. She looked at the silent class for a couple seconds, a serious expression on her face. Everyone immediately gave her their attention- Ms. Klass was never serious.

"You will make your way to the auditorium and find seats. You will pay attention and be silent for the entire assembly." She stared them down for a few more seconds before waving them out of the room.

The entire class shot to their feet and rushed out, all of them accept Aiden. She added a few more strokes to a feather before putting her supplies away, closing her book and slinging her bag on her shoulder. With a wave to Ms. Klass she entered the hallway and headed toward the auditorium, her drawing book cradled in her arm. Ms. Klass shook her head, smiling softly. "That Aiden. She could be held at gunpoint and still keep her calm." She closed and locked the door behind her before following behind her class.