The days passed all too slowly and quickly at the same time. They were slow because it seemed as if every waking moment, Sarah was thinking about Chris. His face would not leave his mind. But at the same time, things were moving too quickly. It didn't seem like there was enough time to unpack before school started, and before Sarah knew what was going on, she was in the passenger's seat of her father's car, heading towards the small Forks High. This would be a day to remember.

Sarah woke up that morning knowing immediately what was going to happen. Rain was pelting down on the window beside her bed, and there were tears on her face already. The sky was too dark, not giving her the light she was used to waking up to. All around, Sarah felt unwell. She was more than nervous for the first day of school, and she ached for her home. Sarah missed her boyfriend. She missed her best friend. She missed her mother.

The school was close by, and in the future, Sarah would be walking there alone. But the first day of school is a special experience for every parent, even if their child happens to be sixteen and has been to school before. Besides, Sarah was too nervous to remember the route to school. She had seen two many people coming to school late in the year and finding themselves unable to fit in with the rest. Forks might be a bit of a different place, but that didn't mean that this wouldn't be the same.

Sarah slipped out of the car, bidding her father adieu with a silent wave. Her backpack was held firmly in her hand as she turned nervously to the students swarming around the outside of the school. She made her way to a small; separate building that looked more official than others. Assuming that this must be the office, Sarah walked inside, grateful for the warmth and lack of rain.

A small, squinty-eyed woman looked up from her paperwork. She had thick-rimmed black glasses, and was wearing old clothes that only a teacher could own. The expression on her face was none too welcoming, and her voice was old and scratchy. "Can I help you? You should know that students are not supposed to come to the office without permission."

"Yes, of course," Sarah replied quietly, dropping her eyes to floor. Naturally a shy person, she felt none too comfortable alone in the office with the woman. She didn't seem quite that friendly, and in any case, Sarah didn't feel comfortable around anyone in Forks yet. She missed the tanned, unfriendly residents of Los Angeles, where she should be. "I just moved here, and I was wondering if you could help me. My name is Sarah Fox. I'm not really sure where I should be going…"

The woman's eyes softened immediately. Sarah still didn't feel much more comfortable, but it seemed as if the woman was going to be a bit friendlier now. She managed a small smile, but did her best to listen silently. "Yes, yes, of course. My mistake. Here, I have some papers for you. A slip for all of your teachers to sign, a schedule, and a map. Here, let me show you the easiest way to get to all of your classes…"

For the next few minutes, the small woman behind the desk highlighted different routes for all of my classes. It would be embarrassing to constantly have to take out the map, but it didn't look too complicated. Each class was in a different building, and all the buildings seemed to be numbered. For the most part, they followed the correct order. Hopefully, she'd be able to just follow the numbers…

"Now, school starts every morning at 8:30 and ends at 3:00. Please take care to be on time, we aren't very lenient when it comes to being on time," the woman explained. Then, with a small, almost false-looking smile, she added, "Welcome to Forks High, Sarah Fox. I'm certain that you'll enjoy your time here."

Certainly unconvinced, Sarah left the office and went off to find her first class. First up was math, in building three. The building was easy enough to find, but Sarah had already begun to attract unwanted attention. Very few students seemed to attend this school, and those who did obviously knew each other quite well. Anyone who was not preoccupied with a paper or book seemed to be staring at her. Finally, one had the courage to walk up to her.

"Hi, are you Sarah?" he asked. Sarah stared at him for a moment, unconsciously comparing him to Chris. Taller than Sarah, the boy was certainly shorter than Chris, and had fewer muscles. His hair was medium-length and black, unlike Chris's short blonde hair. And finally, there was the shade of their skin. Normally, it seemed as if they might have been the same. But Chris's skin was far more tanned, and this boy's was much paler.

"Yes, that's me. How did you know?" Sarah asked. Hopefully it wasn't too obvious that she was only mildly interested in the conversation they were having. After all, she wanted to get to her first class on time. But the boy didn't seem like he was going to stop, and Sarah didn't want to be rude to the first person in Forks that she met properly. After all, since the school seemed to have such a tightly knit community, he would be sure to spread the word if she seemed like a cruel, unfriendly city girl. First impressions were sure to be important later on.

"My name's Jeffrey Wilson," the boy introduced himself. Jeffrey was smiling, and he looked hopeful, encouraged by Sarah's polite response. "It's a bit of a small school," he admitted, "and getting someone from somewhere as big as Los Angeles is a pretty big deal. In any case, do you need any help? Where's your next class?"

"I've got math, building three," Sarah told him. She was beginning to see the advantages of having a friend on the first day of school. Without complaint, she followed Jeffrey, who smiled and led her to building three, even though it would have been simple enough to find on her own. The overly friendly boy didn't even ask her to follow, knowing that she'd want his help. Strange.

"I've got math too," Jeffrey told her when they reached the door. "Almost time for the bell, too." He opened the door, and held it for her. The same smile was still plastered across Jeffrey's face, and it was making Sarah a bit suspicious. Nonetheless, she obeyed when he said, "After you." She even murmured a polite "thank you", and then made her way into the classroom.

Already, Sarah was beginning to see that Jeffrey was going to be a bit clingy. Normally, the affection would be welcomed, if not enjoyed. But the thought of Chris back in California held Sarah back from really thinking of the attention as anything other than a nuisance. For now, Jeffrey was being helpful. But Sarah feared that he would soon become an unwanted follower, a helper who just never left. It would be difficult to lose him, if Sarah ever wanted to get rid of him.

Jeffrey led her to a table near the front of the class, and pulled out a chair for her. No one else had arrived in class yet, and it seemed as if Jeffrey had been lying about the time. Nonetheless, Sarah grudgingly sat down beside him. Jeffrey opened his mouth, about to say something, when the door opened again. This time a group of five students entered, and before their chatter died down, more entered. Before Jeffrey had had the chance to say one word to Sarah, the classroom had filled up, the bell rang, and the teacher entered the room.

"Well, it seems we have a new student," she said, looking down at Sarah, front and centre. "What's your name?"