An irrational sense of impending doom filled Bracken's mind as she prepared herself for her first day at Forks High School. She woke up much too early, and spent an hour or so thinking up believable excuses for not turning up. But, after taking a shower to calm herself down and make sure she looked presentable, she had deduced that she had to attend. There was no way of avoiding it. It would catch up with her eventually.

Bracken took a moment deciding what to wear. Eventually she decided on a loose black dress marked with small green flowers, with jeans, slip on shoes and her mother's green cardigan. She brushed her hair more carefully than she had done for the past few days, so that it looked more curly than just messy. She finished off her look with a thin green alice band placed behind her ears. She hoped she wouldn't look too ridiculous to the other students.

Bracken picked up the bag she had bought yesterday, and stuffed in everything she thought she might need, including her purse. She then took one last swift glance around the room, and exited, putting her key in the very bottom of her bag. It would not be good if she lost her key on the first day of school. Not good at all. When Bracken descended the stairs and peered at the clock in the lobby, she was dismayed to realise how early it still was. It seemed she had not wasted enough time deliberating. Oh well.

She had been told to go to reception upon her arrival, to pick up her timetable, and some sort of slip. She was supposed to get it signed by all of her teachers. In the end, pure nerves made her leave the lobby. She was attracting looks from the receptionist with her jerky, anxious movements. She was still half an hour early, but she decided this didn't matter. It would take her a good ten minutes to walk to the school.

The wind was cold as it sliced past her. She shivered, but not because of the wind. Bracken wrapped her arms around herself and fixed her eyes downward. It was extremely difficult to ignore the impulse to turn around and dash back up to her room, to hide there all day. She distracted herself by thinking of all the people she had met so far in Forks. First, she went over Dr Cullen with his incredibly chalky skin and pale hair, and Nurse Lewis, the small, dark-skinned nurse who had been so kind to her at the hospital.

She was running over Cleo and Symone when the sign for Forks High School loomed up out of nowhere. She eyed it apprehensively, and then passed it with determination burning in her chest. She had come this far, right…? She was relieved to see that there were cars parked in the car park – she wasn't the only one who had arrived early – but this also made her uneasy. She could see people's heads turning as they stared at her. Bracken blushed, feeling her skin burn red. She brushed past a boy who was gawping at her from outside his old blue car, and slipped into the reception. Inside, it was warmer, and she instantly relaxed. The only person in here was a woman with dyed hair stood behind the desk.

Bracken hovered for a moment, and then walked to the desk. The woman smiled at her. "Hello, how can I help you?" It was obvious from her face that she did not recognize Bracken, but she did not stare. "Um, my name's Bracken Moore," Bracken began nervously. "I'm new… Today?" The woman's eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh, yes," she said. "I was told about that." Her voice took on a lower quality – Bracken guessed she knew about what had happened to Bracken's family. Bracken blushed again, clearing her throat casually to fill the silence.

"Anyway, welcome to Forks High, dear," said the woman, in her normal voice again. Bracken relaxed. She noticed a little sign on the desk reading 'Mrs Cope'. Mrs Cope handed her a piece of paper over the desk. "This is your timetable," she said. She then ducked down to retrieve something which was stored on the inside of the desk. She appeared again, not a hair out of place, and handed a slip to Bracken. "You just need to get all your teachers to sign that, and then bring it back to me at the end of the day. Okay?"

Bracken nodded and thanked Mrs Cope, before walking away from the desk. She folded the slip in half and pushed it into her pocket. She did not leave the office, afraid of the stares. Instead, she squinted at her timetable. She was glad she had been given papers about her old school to give to Forks High. She was doing pretty much the same lessons she had done in Seattle. And first, was English. It started in five minutes, a quick glance at the clock told her. It looked like she couldn't put it off any longer.

Bracken put her hand on the door and shoved. It was worse this time. She attracted even more stares due to the doubled amount of people. Bracken stared at her feet, determined not to look at anyone's face. She tripped once, over her own feet, but pretended it had not happened and carried on. She was sure she heard muffled giggling from behind her, but she couldn't be sure. It could just be her overactive imagination trying to taunt her.

She was halfway down the corridor when something suddenly grabbed her arm. She jumped terribly, only to recognize Cleo's bobbing head. Symone walked on her other side, smiling but not looking quite as manic as her friend. Now that Bracken stood beside Cleo, she could see the other girl was taller than her. So was Symone. This made her feel further discomfort, though the fact that these girls seemed to want to talk to her was a good sign.

"Hey, Bracken!" Cleo chimed. "It's great to see you! Sym wasn't sure you'd turn up!" She turned to her friend, a chastising look on her face. "I told you she would!" Bracken smiled, but said nothing in reply. "So, what lesson have you got first, Brac?" Bracken noticed the casual use of her old nickname. She wasn't sure if she minded or not. "English, with Mr Mason," Bracken told her. She noticed Symone stifle a laugh, and Cleo glare at her. It clicked in her mind. Cleo Mason. Maybe she was related to the teacher. How embarrassing for her.

"Me too," came Symone's quiet reply. Cleo looked annoyed. "That's so unfair," she moaned, still clutching Bracken's arm. "I have Spanish. Ugh." Bracken caught Symone's eye and they both coughed loudly to hide their laughter. The three of them split up outside the English classroom, Cleo miming a sudden and dramatic death at being separated from the others. Bracken and Symone were still giggling when they entered the classroom, which earned a mild glare from the teacher.

It was easy to tell he was related to Cleo. They had the same eyes. Symone went to take her seat beside a girl with blonde plaits. Bracken cursed silently. That meant she had to sit next to a stranger, or by herself. She approached the teacher cautiously, wishing she had made a better impression upon entering the classroom, but he smiled faintly when she stopped in front of him. "You must be Bracken Moore," he said. "I was told you'd be joining our class today." Bracken nodded, managing a weak smile. Mr Mason gestured towards a desk only a row in front of the back of the classroom.

Bracken walked through the middle of the rows to reach her seat, it being the only route. If she could have burrowed underground to get there, she would have. She wanted to physically grab everyone's faces and turn them back to the teacher. What was so interesting about her? Bracken's mood was not too good as she put her bag on the table with more force than necessary. When she moved it, the boy beside her was looking at her.

"Yes?" Bracken asked, exasperated. She then regretted her words. She didn't want to be known for her rudeness, so she pinned a fake smile on her face to take the edge off her words. Mr Mason began the lesson, handing out books, on between two, to each table. The boy didn't seem to notice the temper in her voice. He had dark brown hair, and was wearing a blue shirt with a collar and jeans. He was unremarkable in every way – pretty much like everybody else in the classroom, including Bracken herself.

"Just taking a look at the new girl," he said to her. The words grated on her ears. She hated being referred to like that, though she knew it was true. And that she would have to put up with it for the next month. She blinked at him, the smile still glued in place. "Bracken, isn't it?" The boy spoke in a friendly voice, but Bracken wasn't in the mood for making friends. She decided to try, for his sake. "Yes," she said simply. The boy seemed delighted that she had actually spoken to him. He seemed easy enough to please.

"I'm Luke Gregory," he said, holding out his hand like Cleo had when Bracken had first met her. Bracken took it carefully and shook it. "So, why'd you move here?" Luke continued. He didn't seem to be afraid of asking her questions. She had to remind herself that this was actually considered a good quality in a person. And he wasn't that bad. Just a bit annoying. "I moved from Seattle," she told him, only half-answering his question.

Luke looked as though he was going to ask why again, like a small child repeating itself, but at that moment Mr Mason threw a book down on their table with such force that Bracken nearly jumped off her chair. Mr Mason shook his head disapprovingly at Luke, and then carried on. Bracken wasn't sure whether this was because he was talking, or because he was being nosy. It didn't really matter – all that mattered was that it had worked. Luke didn't get a chance to speak to her through the rest of the lesson, but whenever she looked at him he seemed to be staring.

Bracken practically ran out of English, wanting to escape Luke's questions. Symone was waiting for her outside, a book clutched against her chest. She pushed her glasses up and smiled her small smile at Bracken. "Hey," she said. "What have you got now?" Bracken consulted her timetable, to discover she had Biology. Symone was also in this lesson, so they walked together, talking comfortably.

The day passed at a reasonable pace for Bracken. It was not nearly as bad as she had anticipated, though the stares were excruciating. She met many more people, some who seemed genuinely interested, others just digging for information to spread. Bracken was relieved when the bell rang out clearly, signalling for lunch. She left her Spanish lesson with Cleo (who had been delighted to find herself in one of Bracken's lessons) and a new girl and boy she had met today; Poppy and Finlay Ratterford. They were twins, which was easy to tell if you looked at them. Both of them had sandy hair and freckles, with deep brown eyes. They were chatty, like Cleo, but not quite as over-the-top.

Bracken found herself surrounded at lunch time, after she had paid for her food and sat down between Cleo (which had been inescapable) and Poppy. She recognized a lot of the crowd, Finlay, Symone and Luke, and some other people she had met today. There was Jay Arron, Braydon Jones and Carly Stanley. And then there were more people she had never met. These people dispersed only after Cleo yelled at them to give her space. For once, Bracken was glad that Cleo had such a loud, shrill voice.

The table was easier to manage with just faces she knew. And it also gave her space to look around the café. There wasn't much in there of interest, though, so she averted her eyes back to her companions. Jay was looking at her as though he wanted to ask a question. She looked away quickly, instead concentrating on a conversation between Carly and Symone. Both of them seemed to be quieter than the others, so she was more drawn to their conversations.

Then it came, the inevitable question which she had been waiting for all day. "So, Brac, why did you come to sleepy old Forks?" It was Jay who asked, as she had expected. Bracken blinked. "I… I…" She struggled to get her words out. Symone kept her mouth shut, and so did Cleo, surprisingly. It looked like she was going to have to face this one alone.

"I heard she was involved in a murder," Bracken heard somebody whisper. This was sort of the truth, but the way several of the group stared at her in horror made realization shoot through her. They thought she was a murderer. Bracken couldn't help but laugh at that, it was so ridiculous. As if she'd be allowed to wander the streets, to go to school, if she was a murderer. At this reaction, Jay's eyes grew huge and Poppy shifted away from the table a fraction.

"Yep," Bracken said, still amused. "I murdered my rich aunt to steal her fortune. That's why I'm here." For a moment it looked as though the table believed her – then Cleo shrieked with laughter and everyone relaxed. When the laughter died down, all eyes were on Bracken again. It looked she still hadn't escaped the question.

"I'm here because my family were killed," she said simply. It felt as though she was choking as she said it. Everyone fell silent. After a moment, a few awkward 'oh's went around the table. Bracken watched as everyone went back to their conversations, satisfied.

Her last lesson was Art, the only thing she had been looking forward too. She walked with Poppy and Finlay, who seemed to like her more now, as though their minds had been put at rest. It didn't take them long to find the Art room. Bracken entered and peered around. It was beautiful, in her opinion, the walls painted with flowers and stars and faces. The floor was splattered with paint. In fact, everything in the room was splattered with paint, even the teacher, Miss Hayze. The woman, who had a wild mop of black hair and large blue eyes, greeted her warmly. Bracken had her slip signed, and then went to take a seat.

The tables in here had been pushed together, so Bracken was able to share one with Finlay and Poppy, and two other boys who stared throughout the lesson. Bracken tried to ignore them as she worked on the task. The class were halfway through a project on crowded paintings – they were painting whilst she was drawing. Bracken had crafted a book, an apple, a soft toy that looked a lot like Brownie, and a clock on her paper when the bell went. Bracken flung her back onto her shoulder, somewhat relieved, and exited the classroom.

She left the school with Luke chattering away to her on one side, but he departed once she reached the parking lot. Bracken leant against a wall, wishing she could sink right through it. She would wait until it was less crowded before going to reception. She tried to find something to look at, to distract herself from the stares. After a moment's searching, she found it.

There was a beautiful silver car parked amongst the others, like a swan amongst pigeons. It gleamed despite the lack of sunlight. The other cars in the car park were dusty and second-hand. Bracken watched as somebody got out of the car. There were two people – a very small, slight girl with elfin features and inky that spiked out in every direction, and a boy with blonde hair and an odd expression on his face. Both of them were utterly beautiful – much too beautiful for this plain school, for this dull town. They didn't belong here.

A moment later, another joined them, but he came from the crowds. The other two had not been in school – perhaps they were graduate's. The newcomer had hair as black as the girl's. All three of them had inhumanly white skin, and syrupy coloured eyes – but the black-haired boy had slightly darker eyes. Bracken couldn't help gaping at their beauty, until all three suddenly looked at her.

She dropped her eyes, flushing an almost unhealthy scarlet colour. How embarrassing. She looked up eventually, terrified, her face still flaming. The older boy and girl had looked away, but the black-haired one was staring at her. His expression was… Horror-stricken. Bracken turned smartly on her heel and fled (there was no other word for it) into the reception office.

She barely looked at Mrs Cape as she took her slip, and mumbled something that had probably been nonsense when the woman asked how her day had gone. Bracken stopped before leaving the office, peering through the glass of the door. Relief drenched her. The strange, beautiful group had disappeared, along with the sleek silver car. Bracken pushed open the door and hurried through the car park. There were not many people left there, and she had more on her mind than this morning, so she barely noticed the stares.

Bracken's mind was stuck on the boys and girl she had seen as she walked back to the Misty Valley Inn. They were all she could think about. They just… Just didn't fit here. Everyone here was nice enough, yes, but ordinary, mundane. Words that could never, ever be attached to people of such shocking beauty.
Bracken tripped on her way up the stone steps, she was so distracted, and had to break her fall with outstretched hands. She sat on one of the steps for a moment, sucking the torn skin on her palms. It hurt, but she didn't seem to register the pain.

Bracken was more careful ascending the narrow wooden staircase up to the corridor, though she nearly knocked the woman with the baby she had seen previously flying in her haste.

Once in her room, Bracken lay back on her bed, forgetting to remove her shoes. Her mind churned, chewing up the information as eagerly as a favourite snack. She examined all three faces in her mind, and something hit her like a physical blow to the face. Honey-coloured eyes, pale skin – Dr Cullen. He'd said he had children, didn't he? And he was much too beautiful to belong here, either.

Bracken chewed the inside of her mouth absently. But they were adopted. That couldn't be it. It had to be chance… Didn't it? She had moved here to escape such worries, such oddities. Forks was supposed to be boring! She had counted on it!

What the hell was going on here?