I follow Kate silently through the snow and up to her door. It was a fight to see who would drive, and in the end she just decided I would stay over with her and get my car in the morning. It was a plan Allison was less than pleased with, but she agreed none the less.

"Would you hurry up?" Kate complains, grabbing my arm and dragging me across her driveway.

Her house sprawls in front of us. It's easily the most beautiful house in all of Alaska, and her mother, Carmen outdoes herself in upkeep. I have never seen it look anything less than perfect; both inside and out.

"I'm coming, you don't need to make me a human ragdoll." I joke, trying to free myself from her grasp, but her grip is like iron and won't budge.

"You'll catch a cold out here." She complains, pulling me harder until I nearly fall into the grand entry of the house.

"Thanks." I mutter, rolling my eyes sarcastically at her.

She simply ignores me, and heads farther into the house, calling out to anyone home that she brought me with her. Carmen's voice carries out of the kitchen, calling a sweet hello. Tanya and Irina are nowhere to be seen, and I have a funny feeling Tanya is following Edward like a lost puppy.

"Where's Eleazar?" I ask after tossing my boots and furry coat into the closet.

"Oh, he and Doctor Cullen decided to hunt and fish before the storms got too bad. I think he believes we need another moose head after I threw away the last one." Carmen jokes walking out of the kitchen to give me a hug.

"Well, that sounds exciting."

The last time Eleazar brought home a moose head and hung it above the hearth, Carmen had it removed and gone within the hour. She was less than pleased with the dead animal staring at them all hours of the day.

"Kate dear, the Cullen's are coming over this evening, please try to look presentable." Carmen sighs, looking at her middle daughter with a frown.

"Lina, we're going upstairs." Kate growls, tugging me like a ragdoll, again, towards the stairs and into her room.

Like I expected, there are clothes draped everywhere with no rhyme or reason. The only thing that has room on it is her bed, so I sit on the edge, watching my friend with curiosity.

"I cannot stand him." She starts to pace, her hands flying everywhere like lightening.

"Who?" I ask dumbly, cocking my head at her in an attempt to look confused.

"Edward, he thinks he can just come back and toy with her again." She groans, looking at me expectantly.

"You're going to have to give me more than that."

"He came here, a few years ago, before you moved out here, and before you know, what happened. He and Tanya sort of hit it off, but they weren't meant to be. Fate did not want them together, and yet here he is, bored, and willing to play my sister to spite that fate." She growls, pacing faster than I ever thought she could.

Kate has always had this affinity for fate, and meeting her soulmate despite her incredibly tough exterior. It fascinates me, and drives me insane to no end. I'm not sure I share the same ideas as her, especially after Jared.

"Kate, you have to let Tanya make her own mistakes, if this fate you speak of is real, then someday she will realize it and everything will fall into place." I rest my hand on hers.

"God, you make everything sound so convincing." She rolls her eyes, plopping down on the bed next to me.

"Well, you are being a little irrational." I smirk, nudging her shoulder with my own.

"Oh shut up Lina, you're just way too rational."

"I'm hungry, let's make cookies?" I grin, peeking outside her window as we both walk towards the kitchen.

"Okay." She shrugs, taking the stairs two at a time.

I've been convinced Kate is anorexic for the past few months, she never seems to eat or even pretend to anymore, and it has begun to worry me, so any time I can eat with her it's welcome. Then again even when I'm there she never eats.

We've just begun to get ingredients out when Carmen rushes into the kitchen and ushers us into the living room muttering about us making a mess as usual. Kate gives her mother a glare, but lets her shove us out.

I see why right when we enter the grand living room. It seems like suddenly Kate and I are the center of attention and I nervously tuck my brown hair behind my ear, smiling a bit at what must be the entire Cullen family.

"Nope." I hear Kate mutter next to me, and then she's gone, running up the stairs behind us and slamming her door.

I sigh, and wince when I hear a bang come from upstairs.

None of us speak for a moment, and I'm glad Carmen is not here to see Kate's outburst.

Finally the overly excited one gracefully jumps to her feet, rushing over to hug me.

"Hi Calina." She grins as she pulls away.

"Alice, hi." I smile at her, laughing when she tugs me towards the rest of her family.

"Carlisle, Esme, this is Calina, we go to school together."

The man looks young enough to be her brother, but I know that he's their foster father, so I smile at him, trying to show how appreciative I am for taking them all in despite his age.

"Hello, Calina. It is so nice to meet you." The woman comes to hug me first, and my nerves dissipate. I'm not sure if it's because of how warm her hug is, or the fact that these people want to know me, and they know nothing of what happened.

Our introductions are interrupted when Eleazar comes in from outside, shaking snow off of is coat. His eyes light up when he sees Carlisle, and conversation immediately breaks out between different groups as Irina also walks in the door. Alice is distracted from me, and I stand by the door feeling entirely like an intruder.

"Hi." A voice breaks my thoughts, and I look up to see the supermodel blonde standing next to me, leaning on the wall.

"Hey, you're Rosalie, right?" I ask, trying not to think about how frumpy my shirt must look standing next to her.

"Right." She laughs, and even her laugh is perfect.

"Sorry, there's just been too many new names today." I apologize, my face flushing.

"Oh I completely understand, Carlisle's job moves us more than we like, so the name thing is totally real."

"I can't even imagine moving around that much." I sigh, watching the family interact together. They seem to be a perfectly oiled machine, and I can't help but be jealous at the way they seem to care about each other.

"It's alright, they make it somewhat bearable." She nods towards the group in front of us.

"I can't even remember what that's like." I chuckle, knowing that I am lying through my teeth, I can remember every moment we spent together as a family before that night.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize," Rosalie trails off, her face falling into a frown "how long ago?"

"It will be four months next week." I try to be light and smile like the world doesn't bother me at all, but I know it looks more like a grimace.

The sadness grasps my heart, and it clenches almost painfully. It's so much easier to convince myself that it doesn't bother me, that it didn't even happen, but it did.

She places a hand on my shoulder, and looks at me like she's going to protect me from everything. Reassuring me one last time, she goes to greet Irina, and Edward takes her place next to me.

"You look entirely too sad for a welcoming party." He chuckles, looking around the room.

"Hiding from Tanya?" I guess, my mood lifting as I think about calling her in here just for entertainment.

"Whatever you do, don't tell her where I am. I've already gotten enough grief from Kate for a lifetime." He pleads, and I laugh at Kate's intense hatred for my new friend.

"Oh come on, Edward, it could be fun." I grin, pretending to look around for Tanya.

"It would be the farthest thing I could think of from fun." He groans, and I relax, ending my joking.

"I'm teasing, how did you like Photography today?"

"It was quite interesting, it's a hobby I've been looking to pursue for a few years." he nods, crossing his arms, his golden eyes watching his family closely.

I try to follow his line of vision, and my eyes land on the boy Alice was so insistent on me sitting next to at lunch. I start to blush when I realize that he's been watching me with a look I cannot decipher on his face.

"Don't mind him." Edward whispers, "he's developed a bit of a crush on you since we moved here, which is probably why Alice wanted you to sit with him."

My eyes widen, and as if Jasper knows what Edward has said, he fixes his gaze on Edward, glaring at him like he wishes his look could kill.

"He's harmless." Edward laughs like he's told a joke "he just thinks you're pretty." He laughs again.

My cheeks turn as red as they possibly can, and I look back at Jasper, he looks as embarrassed as me, but I practically radiate with excitement at Edward's statement. I don't know why I am so excited, but I can feel it coursing through me. Scoffing in my mind as I think about Kate's fate, and wondering if this is fate spiting me.

"I'm no good at crushes." I warn Edward, trying my hardest not to look at Jasper.

"It's not like he's trying to make you fall in love with him, he just thinks you're pretty and is entirely too scared to talk to you. I'm being his wingman, Calina, how can you not see that." He rolls his eyes, giving me a subtle push towards Jasper.

It seems like everyone's eyes are suddenly on me as I make my way across the room towards Carmen's expensive white couch. In reality only Alice has turned to look at me, but conversation wanes until I finally reach him, giving him a small smile.

I sit down next to him, leaving quite the amount of space between us, and turn towards him.

"Hi." I smile softly, holding my hand out to him "I'm Calina."

I hold my breath as I wait for a response, and I wince when I realize he may not even want to talk to me, and Edward could have been lying to me all along.

Right when I'm about to drop my hand and storm upstairs irrationally to be with Kate, a cool hand is placed in my own, and I whip my head over, my eyes meeting dazzling golden ones.

"Jasper, it's nice to finally meet you." He smiles ever so slightly, and I'm taken aback by everything.

His hand seems to give me chills, and tingles, and his voice is so smooth, and southern that I just about choke.

"Hi." I dumbly state again, dropping his hand.

. . .

I lay down in Kate's bed after another episode of 'That 70's Show', looking over at her as she flips through a magazine, obviously not tired at all.

"Kate, do you think I'll ever be okay?" I roll to face her.

"Of course you will." She drops the magazine, she looks at me, but not with pity like everyone else.

"Allison said I've been having the nightmares again. I think it's because that stupid psychiatrist took me off of the pills."

She just looks at me with sadness in her eyes. She's been somewhat of a rock, and I know it's selfish to want her to walk with me through it all, but I need her. She's been my best friend since my freshman year here.

"Lina, what happened to your family was horrific, it is going to take time; you can't heal every bit of it in just a few months. My family and I are with you, and we will walk with you, I'm so sorry that I can't take it all from you."

Her hand finds mine, and I stare up at the ceiling, willing myself not to cry. I can be brave, I have been for four months. I know that eventually it will fade, and getting through a day won't be hard. I just long to no longer feel the pain.

"Just because Jasper thinks you look nice, doesn't mean he's going to hurt anyone around you. He isn't him Calina, he's a sweet boy, just lost."

"I'm tired of being scared." I whisper.

"Then don't be." Is the last thing I hear before an intense calm falls over me, and I fall into sleep with open arms.