A/N: okay so Gemma's made some new friends already! I bet your all wondering how the hell this has to do with twilight… well, you'll seeeee!

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Pippa and Felicity walked ahead of us, whispering to each other as they took brisk steps. Ann and I stepped into the chapel. I brushed the doorframe gently with my shoulder. It was quite a gloomy place, with creaky wooden floors and chairs. I tried to ignore it as I took my seat.

A plump priest stepped up and began a hymn. Soon, we all joined in. At the end, Mrs. Nightwing took her place on the little stage. "Good evening, ladies," she said in her powerful, clear voice.

"Good evening, Mrs. Nightwing," we recited like the good little schoolgirls we were. I had a strange urge to giggle, but I fought against it with thoughts of what everyone would think of me, the new girl, if I started giggling for no reason.

"Now, as most of you know," Mrs. Nightwing continued, "we have a new student joining us today." I blushed fiercely and looked down at my feet, just like any other girl with hair the color of a copper would do. "Gemma Doyle, please step forward and introduce yourself."

I lifted my head up and slowly left my seat. I walked up towards Mrs. Nightwing, head held high, but it was hard not to play with my fingers nervously. I almost tripped on my feet at one point, being the clumsiest person in the history of mankind, but I balanced myself on my heels just as I was about to fall. I took a deep breath and kept on walking until I was standing beside Mrs. Nightwing.

I turned to my audience and said loudly in a shy voice, "Hello." Mrs. Nightwing smiled encouragingly at me and so I continued, "I am Gemma Doyle. I am sixteen years old. I have already met some of you, and I sincerely believe that I will enjoy my stay here until my debut next year."

I felt there was something offhanded about my speech; it was a bit drained of emotion. I really didn't care though, because Mrs. Nightwing seemed to think it was good enough and motioned for me to return to my seat.

I did so, but this time I did trip, but not on a flat surface. A girl with pinched-up face had put out her foot, making me tumble to the ground. Felicity, the closest person to my disheveled figure, bent down and helped me up. "Thank you, Felicity," I croaked. She nodded seriously and glared at the girl who tripped me. "Who is that?" I whispered.

"Cecily," was all she said. I immediately understood. It was the terrible girl Ann had described to me. I glared at her as well. Luckily, no one else except Pippa and Ann were paying any attention. The priest had begun again, so no one minded. I stepped back into the aisle and picked up my bible.

This went on for quite a long amount of time. Finally, it was time for supper. Before I could speak to Ann, Felicity hooked her arm through mine and began walking. When I looked back, Pippa had done the same to Ann. I turned my head around again, and we were right behind Cecily. Suddenly I understood what Felicity was planning. I grinned at her evilly.

We swerved to the side and sped up. Just when we were beside Cecily, I pounded my shoulder roughly against hers, and then kept on walking like nothing ever happened. Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around. Cecily looked like a vicious dog, scrunching her nose even more than it already was. "What was that for, Gemma?" she growled.

"Now, now, Cecily, that's not a very kind way of greeting a new student," Felicity noted. I pouted to prove that she had hurt my feelings. Cecily's scrunched-up frown turned into an evil smirk.

"Well, then, we should show her how things really work out here," she responded. It didn't sound like an invitation; it sounded more like a threat. I smiled anyway, playing the dumb one. Someone came up from behind us and walked by Cecily, who hooked her arm through the girl's and said, "Let's go, Elizabeth."

I could tell that the girl wasn't pretending to be stupid. She really was. Her face looked like a happy puppy's, doing whatever its master tells it to do. It was pretty funny, actually. They walked ahead of us. Pippa and Ann immediately rushed up, grinning from ear to ear. "That was hilarious!" Pippa exclaimed. Ann was giggling hysterically.

"Did you see Elizabeth's face?" I asked. They nodded enthusiastically. We headed down the path, my three new best friends and I.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

We went into the dining hall as fast as possible. On our way there, they had all told me that if you lag behind too long, the porridge would get cold and therefore moldy. Luckily, we were right on time, since the porridge was thick and warm. I ate mine as fast as possible for it to be considered polite. I hadn't noticed until I saw food how hungry I really was.

Once we were done eating, we went into the parlor for an hour to do whatever we wanted. Felicity had a secluded corner all to herself. She had used several scarves to create a tent. Felicity, Pippa, and Ann crawled in, and I followed suit. They all told me about the secret meetings they had with the gypsies. It was very funny to hear the tales of how they had gone out in the middle of the night right under all the teachers' noses.

All too soon, an hour was over. We led the large mound of girls up the staircase and through the corridor. Ann and I branched off when we arrived at our room, and when I turned around to say goodbye to Felicity and Pippa, I saw them entering the room right across from ours. I grinned at them and waved. They did likewise, looking like two queens greeting their subjects.

I went over to my dresser to get my nightgown, but Ann stopped me. "You don't think that we will be going to the gypsy camp wearing our nightgowns, do you?" she asked. I nodded my understanding. I took off my shoes and lied in my bed, fully clothed.

I must have fallen asleep, because I opened my eyes to see Ann's face. Her hands were on my shoulders and she was shaking me lightly. I took her hands and pulled them off my shoulders. "Time to go?" I asked. She nodded.

I put on my shoes and we were off. We crept down the staircase, wincing whenever the floorboards creaked. I opened the front door and we went outside. Felicity and Pippa were waiting for us, along with Cecily, Elizabeth, and 2 other girls I didn't recognize.

Pippa skipped up to me, wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed lightly. "We are glad you made it," she whispered. I hugged her back.

"Come on," Felicity said impatiently. "They're waiting." We set off down the thin path towards the gypsy camp.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

A/N: heya my luvazzz sooo yeah they r on their way to the gypsy camp… but who will gemma meet there? What will happen? What will she learn? You will just have to wait and seeee…..