Thanks to my beta-reader Medusa Sparrow-Descouedres for this piece!

1. First Day

My eyes opened to the sounds of my family filtering through the floorboards from below.

It was my first day in a new town, new school. We would be staying here for another three/four years, and then moving on again quickly.

I sat up and stretched, checking the time. Obviously, it was still six thirty. I was a light sleeper, and one who woke up early. Not that I needed much sleep anyways, being a new generation vampire. But I still needed my sleep every once in a while – without any I was unable to function properly. People slept to satisfy their body and to refresh themselves; I slept because I was bored.

I swung my feet out of bed and padded to the bathroom, showering and brushing my teeth and then inspecting myself critically in the mirror. My shimmery silvery-blonde hair was neat, falling past my shoulders in straight lines, and my jade eyes were clear, no hint of sleep in them.

My very pale, albino skin, though more colored than my family's, was spot free, with no blemishes, and looked soft; overall, I didn't look like I had been sleeping, if what I'd been doing could be called sleeping. One of the perks of being a vampire.

For my first day, I stood in front of my mirror – lucky that vampires could have reflections – and held up outfit after outfit against myself as I decided what to wear. The short black dress? The long khaki skirt with the green low-necked blouse? The strappy pink and white dress? Finally I decided to wear a gold mini and grabbed my black boots from next to my bed, plodding downstairs.

"Hi, angel." Bella – I had trouble calling her Mom – greeted me as I entered the kitchen. She was sitting next to Edward – I also had trouble thinking of him as my Dad – and his arm was around her; they seemed perfectly comfortable with each other.

I was the only one of the family who wasn't paired off, but according to Alice, they had to "give me time."

It was maddening that they all had destined soulmates, and this made me feel like an outsider on days when I was in an especially bad mood, to see them all together, so – in love with each other.

"First day at a new school." I announced. "You know, this time could I actually be able to finish high school before we move again?"

"Of course – you'll be turning seventeen in four months, and so in one year you'll be ready for college." Carlisle told me.

I snorted. "You guys still all intent on me having some 'human experiences' before I stop aging or whatever?"

Bella nodded. "You're only seventeen; there'll be plenty of human experiences to be had, and you're going to enjoy every single one of them."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Mom."

"Mind if you come in my car today?" Edward asked.

"Sure – but you have to buy me a green Mercedes for my birthday."

Edward smirked, glancing across at Bella. "Hmmm. I'll consider it."

I narrowed my eyes. "This isn't a dig at my driving, right? I just hate going at, like, eighty miles per hour. Now, going at a hundred and thirty five miles an hour is awesome."

Emmett chucked. "I don't think Bella will agree."

"I don't get what you vampires have for driving." Bella informed him.

Emmett held up his hands in defence. "You don't see me going for flashy cars. I love my Jeep."

"One hell of a Jeep." I agreed.

"Want some breakfast?" Bella asked.

I nodded. "Sure." I could have just as well drunk blood, but then it made me more like a vampire, and if I just took food, I would be more humanlike, so I gave both a fifty-fifty chance to each – plus being my type of vampire enabled me to have more attuned and better abilities than normal vampires and better yet, I could also have human comforts.

I was one lucky vampire. Bella set down a bowl of cornflakes and toast along with a glass of OJ in front of me, refusing to let me serve myself, and went back to Edward while I ate.

When it was time to go to school, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper piled into Rosalie's convertible and Edward led Bella and me to his silver Volvo, gunning the engine.

When we got to the school, I saw that it was a big building with a church in the background, and it had a big fancy plaque with 'Esmont High School 1805-2022' written on it in gold blocks.

There were all types of cars parked in the available spaces, varying from Range Rovers to Lamborghini's and Kharmann Ghia's.

Edward parked next to the others near the building and got out, opening Bella's door for her and taking her bag as they walked towards the school. I walked next to them, and arrived at the secretary's office.

The secretary was a small woman with short black hair and large chocolate eyes. She nodded at us, her eyes sweeping over us all, and looked at Rosalie, who was supposedly the oldest of the children.

"Hello, I'm Ms. Collins. How may I help you?" She asked, warmly.

"We're the Cullens." Rosalie told her.

Ms. Collins nodded. "I see. Your names, please?"

"Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella, and Elizabeth."

She blinked, looking down at a slip of paper. "Rosalie and Emmett, you have the same schedules in the senior classes, and the others are all assigned to the same classes except for Elizabeth who will be in the second junior class."

I looked pleadingly at her. "Please may I be with my siblings?"

Ms. Collins smiled sympathetically at me. "I'm sorry, dear. I could talk to the principal on your behalf, if you like?"

I shook my head. "No, thanks, it's okay."

Ms. Collins smiled at me and handed us our schedules with slips of paper for the teachers to sign. I walked back to my locker with the others, feeling glum.

"Sorry, Liz – I'll see you at lunch?" Bella asked, worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." I told her. I opened my new locker, checking inside that the last person hadn't left their smelly gym bag in it this time, and slammed it shut, walking to my first class.

When I entered, I saw that everyone was in groups, but at my arrival everyone fell silent, turning to look at me simultaneously, then turning back to their conversations, though a few shot me glances as I walked past them. I reddened, and walked over to an empty table at the back near the window.

I set my bag down on the table, rummaging through it for mints, when I looked up to see a muscular boy with dark hair and eyes coming towards me. I groaned inwardly and smiled as he approached my table.

"Hi." He flashed me a winning smile, and I smiled back, hesitant.

"Hi. Um…"

"The name's Raze." He offered.

"Hi, Raze."

"You new?" Raze asked.

I nodded. "Moved here on Saturday."

"I guess you havn't seen much of Esmont, Virginia, then?" Raze chuckled.

I shrugged. "Not really."

"I could show you some -" Raze began to say, when another boy came towards us, smaller than Raze but more imposing.

"Yo Raze, leave the girl alone man." The new boy had piercing eyes that swept me from head to toe and then flickered back in his friend's direction.

"He's not annoying me – really." I told him.

The boy smiled. "I'm warning you, stay away from him; he's a real charmer, a ladies' man."

I smirked. "I'm not much of a man's lady."

The boy laughed. "I think I'll like you – the name's Pierce."

I smiled at him. "Elizabeth Cullen, my friends call me Liz."

"Your friends must be sad that you moved away." Pierce said.

I shrugged. "Not really; I move a lot."

"Hey!" Raze protested. "As I was saying, I could show Liz around town if she likes."

I raised my eyebrow. "Tell me you didn't just ask me out on a date."

Raze looked embarrassed, and Pierce looked at his friend as though he'd gone crazy.

"I think Raze's crazy for you." He explained. "He doesn't normally go asking out a girl once he's sure she won't turn him down. And he likes to chase after her first."

"Oh, I don't mind – really. It's just that I just moved in?" By now a few more boys and girls had joined us, all listening pointedly to what I had to say. Thank god I was more like Edward; otherwise I would be feeling mortified with this much attention at once.

"Hi Elizabeth, my name's Jessica Parker, my friends call me Jess." A petite girl with bright red hair and sparkling gray eyes introduced herself to me and then pointed out the others.

"I see you've met Raze and Pierce; that's Marianne, Janet, Lila, Chloe, Perdity, Jamil, Trent, Val, Jason and Trix." Marianne was willowy and had blonde hair and lavender eyes; Janet and Lila were both brunettes, Janet petite with dark eyes and Lila tall with blue eyes.

Chloe was small and had black hair and eyes, whilst Perdity was tall and had blonde hair with brown eyes.

Jamil was dark and had black hair with brown eyes, and Trent had russet hair with black eyes. Stephen had golden-brown hair with gray eyes, whilst Jason had blonde hair and cobalt eyes, and Trix had brown hair with chocolate eyes.

Jamil, Trent, and Val were all well built, but Trix and Jason were smaller. No guesses to who was in the soccer team, if there was one.

"You're not named after the Trix rabbit, are you?" I asked Trix.

He glared at me. "Got a problem with that?"

"Not really."

"So, is it just Elizabeth or do you have a nickname?" Marianne asked.

"My friends call me Liz."

Jessica smiled, interested. "Do you play sport?"

I nodded. "And you?"

"Cheerleaders for the Esmont Wolves; there are lots more teams in Virginia and we have interstate competitions and also go to games with the 'Wolves. We've won quite a few times in a row now" She grinned.

"Congratulations."

"We don't normally ask this of everyone, but would you like to join?" Jessica asked.

I shook my head, grimacing slightly. "I'm not cheerleading material."

"Please?" She pleaded.

"Sorry – I don't get enough free time at home." Liar. You have a lot.

Jessica nodded. "Well, if you want to join the team anytime, just audition for us and you're in; you'd make a great cheerleader." She smiled warmly at me and I relaxed, smiling back, when Mr Faulks, our literature teacher, came through the door. Everyone immediately went back to his or her seat and I walked to the front, feeling not as humiliated now as before.

"Mr Faulks? I'm Elizabeth Cullen."

Mr Faulks peered at me over his glasses. "You're the new girl?"

I nodded, and then he took my slip of paper from me and signed it, handing it back, then gave me an English textbook with a stack of sheets and wrote my name in his planner.

"Here's everything we're doing this semester, do you have a place to sit?"

I shook my head and Mr Faulks looked around the room, and then indicated a table near the back.

"You can sit at the table near the back."

"Thank you sir." I walked over to the table and sat down at one end, flipping through the sheets.

It was all the books we had to do during the semester, and the right at the top was Wuthering Heights by Jane Austen, one I had already read; it was my favorite.

As Mr Faulks started to talk, I looked up to listen when the door burst open and a boy burst in, smiling brilliantly. He was tall, with auburn hair and blinding emerald eyes, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and black jeans with K-Swiss sneakers.

"Sorry I'm late, sir." He apologised to the teacher.

Mr Faulks looked up. "Sit down, Alex. By the way, there's a new girl, Elizabeth; she'll be sitting next to you from now on."

"Sure, sir." Alex grinned and walked over to my table; on the way, the girls flashed him smiles and Trent clapped him on the back. Looked like he was well known, then.

Alex reached the table and sat down on my other side, putting his bag down on the table. I froze, and closed my eyes, gulping. The scent coming off his skin, his hair, his clothes, was maddening; it drove my senses wild. I pressed my tongue against my lengthening, razor-sharp teeth, trying to restrain them, my jaw aching fiercely.

My tooth pricked my tongue and the rush of blood on my tongue was bittersweet. I knew what was happening, I had heard recollections of it from my parents and the others who had known them; it was impossible not to recognise.

La tua cantante.